Le Droit Humain 47

Ordre Maçonnique Mixte InternationalLe Droit Humain

Le Droit Humain # 47INTERNATIONAL

To join that which was scattered / Summer 2016 — EN

Le Droit Humain #47

Summer 2016—Illustrations:Francisco de HolandaDe aetatibus mundi imagines

Edition: Communication CommissionAugust 2016

5 Preface Communication Commission

—

6 Reflections on symbolic interpretation applied to the symbolism of the triangle Brother Jacques Constant Canadian Federation

14 The sun in the zenith / The sun at high noon / Saint Sohn of the summer festival Sister Halldóra Björnsdóttir Icelandic Federation

20 Universal brotherhood Brother S.·. S.·. Federation of West Africa

28 Human Right Sister Claudine Fradet French Federation

36 The Formation of Freemasonry Sister Riitta Suurla Finnish Federation

42 The sacred in architecture Sister Kristín Jónsdóttir Icelandic Federation

48 Battery and Acclamation as a powerful force and interior effect on the brethern Sister Regina Mitra Portuguese Federation

52 Fraternity, Secularity: a rear-guard struggle? Brother Roger Bruni French Federation

INDEX

This bulletin, To join that which was scattered, was created by collecting items that were presented to the Communication Commission, responsible for the Inter-national Bulletin of the Order, over the past five years and which have not been pub-lished. With them, we want to join that which was scattered, combine different sen-sitivities present in the Order, present different voices and visions in some works, some interest from different parts of the world, different sensibilities, but all with our own common principles..

PREFACE —Communication Commission

LE DROIT HUMAIN / 5

REFLECTIONS ON SYMBOLIC INTERPRETATIONAPPLIED TO THE SYMBOLISM OF THE TRIANGLE—JACQUES CONSTANT Canadian Federation

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While fraternity is an ideal of our Order, the main reason why I sought admis-sion into Freemasonry was my interest in symbolism in general and Masonic sym-bolism in particular. By becoming a Mason, I wanted to deepen my understanding of these symbols and, hence, experience them with more intensity.

In the Emulation Rite, Freemasonry is defined as “a beautiful system of morali-ty, veiled in Allegory and illustrated by Symbols.” A question immediately comes to mind: thus, do Masonic symbols have a purely ethical significance? Such a point of view seems to be particularly restrictive. To my mind, the goal of Masonic symbol-ism is both more vast and more noble than the simple desire to dictate morals. Sym-bols do not cover solely the relatively narrow scope of morality: they largely tran-scend it and take on their full meaning only in much higher spheres, which I would describe as spiritual.

Such a perception may shock at first glance. However, if the full scope of a sym-bol is analyzed, unsuspected horizons are discovered little by little. That is why we shall try first of all to determine the origin and the function of symbols. Then, we shall try to illustrate this through the symbolism of the Triangle, the triple torch that lights our work and decorates our Temple.

The Larousse dictionary defines the word “symbol” as a sign representing an idea. Originally, the word comes from the Greek sumbolon which means “sign, mark.” In fact, the sumbolon was an object broken in two pieces, each piece being kept by a different person. The perfect coincidence of the two pieces of the object allowed the owners to recognize each other and to communicate under the seal of secre-cy, in the same way that a password allows one to go through a door. By extension, symbols became a means of expression, imagined or found naturally by human be-ings, to enable them to make the connection between a hidden, forgotten or buried world they feel nostalgic for and the real, concrete world where they live. Here, we find again the duality between concrete and abstract, rational and irrational, con-scious and unconscious, etc. In other words, the symbolic object, by virtue of our imagination, allows us to establish representations that are analogical to our expe-riences, our emotions, our ideas, the world around us and how we perceive it, our spirituality, etc. It also gives us the opportunity to further clarify our interiority and its meanderings, and to gradually become aware of our relationship to the world and of our negative patterns of behaviour.

In addition, through symbols, we can communicate directly with the world of Archetypes, the world of fundamental ideas, of Essences which constitutes a common heritage for all mankind: it is the collective unconscious, highlighted by Carl Gustav Jung. The symbols that emanated from it, whose interpretation comes painfully to our clouded consciousness, are immutable (light, sun, moon, temple, altar, columns, pillars, ahslar, tools, etc.). In fact, this is what constitutes the great-ness of Masonic Initiation. The neophyte who enters the Temple is suddenly con-fronted with a ritual that may appear very strange to him at first. Thanks to this sudden confrontation, the initiatory symbolism of the ritual then permeates the

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deepest layers of his unconscious. Then, it will be up to the initiate to germinate the seed buried deep inside.

This secret, hidden, forgotten world, you guessed it, defines the content of our unconscious mind. Furthermore, our unconscious mind sends us messages regular-ly, every night while we sleep, through our dreams. The content of these messages is essentially symbolic, and it is up to us to decode it. I shall not elaborate further on the decoding of dreams, which by the way is similar to the decoding of any symbol. However, there are three conditions: to remember our dreams, to write their con-tent to the last detail (because every detail counts) and to interpret them in relation to our immediate or more distant experiences.

Going back to our Masonic symbols, many of us stall when it comes to inter-preting their content. Some of us equate this work to a purely intellectual cogita-tion. Several of us, choosing the easy way, get ready-made answers in specialized literature. Finally, others waive any effort and admit to being powerless.

But how can we “break the bone, and suck out the substantial marrow?” How do we crack the hard shell of the symbol in order to taste the almond? In other words, how should we proceed?

Whenever you wish to interpret a symbol, it is imperative that you disconnect from your mental state and connect to your feelings. If your search for meaning is confined to the intellectual, rational plan, you will very quickly reach a dead end. Why? As the symbolic language is essentially irrational, it is through our imagina-tion and our emotional experiences that we must approach it. In this regard, allow me to quote a phrase from Carl Gustav Jung:

“Thinking and feeling are two operations so diametrically opposed that the one excludes almost automatically the values of the other and vice versa.”

In order to connect with your feelings, you can focus on breathing as a gate-way to access not only your feelings but also their subconscious messages. Then ask yourself the following question:

• In accordance with my deep feelings, what associations or analogies (images, emotions, memories, feelings, ideas, words, etc.) does this symbol suggest in re-lation to myself and to my experiences?

• Then let your imagination reveal the contents of the message from your uncon-scious mind. Make a note of all images, emotions, memories, feelings and ideas being brought back to your conscious mind. It is also possible that you feel un-able to interpret this symbol. In this case, ask yourself:

• What negative emotion (sadness, fear, anger, etc.) does such a mental block arouse in me?

• To what part of my experiences can I relate this emotion?

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Your mental block should disappear insofar as you are able to answer these two questions. But if the mental block persists, do not insist on forcing it appear at that moment as the solution is likely to come to you later, when you least expect it. Let time do its work. However, if you are firmly convinced that “you will never get there,” it is time to turn your negative belief into a more positive view of yourself, because there is nothing in us that cannot be changed!

There is another significant aspect in the interpretation of a symbol, which is the way we look at the symbolic object: when we see it, we must learn to change our perspective. Changing my perspective entails first of all the breaking down of a complex symbol into simpler elements, each of which can be interpreted: the plumb-line for example consists of an attachment point, a string and a weight; each of these parts can suggest different images that will enrich my meditation. By changing my perspective, I also have to take into account the positive and nega-tive aspects of a symbol: the sun heats and allows life to flourish, but it also burns and destroys.

On the other hand, our brain is used to considering an object, a picture, a draw-ing based on its overall shape, its use, its usual meaning, its involvement in our dai-ly lives, etc. I drive nails with a hammer; the picture of a beach by the sea reminds me of the holidays; the drawing of a Triangle reminds me of a geometry problem...

But a hammer consists of a handle that I hold in my hand and of a massive met-al head. A beach is formed by billions of grains of sand, sometimes strewn with rocks, and it may have a different colour depending on the coast where it is locat-ed and on the intensity of the sun. The sea ripples constantly to the rhythm of the waves; they can break into a deafening roar or gently lick the shore; the water itself can have different colours from white froth to emerald, then to aquamarine. A Tri-angle has three sides, joined by three angles whose amplitude varies according to the figure shown: equilateral, isosceles, right, scalene. My symbolic interpretation can consider each of these elements and identify other meanings. And thus, grad-ually, I enrich my vision.

We shall now try to illustrate our point by studying some aspects of the sym-bolism of the Triangle. First, a few words about geometry, whose principles are ad-dressed in the Entered Apprentice Degree. If we consider all the figures studied in geometry (points, lines, spirals, polygons, cubes, spheres, etc.), it seems to me that they represent the skeleton, the schematic sketch of all possible forms that we en-counter in Nature. Hence the importance of its study for any builder who, in the development of his work, is often inspired by his surrounding environment. With their pointed arches, don’t the pillars of Gothic cathedrals evoke century-old trees in a European forest? Doesn’t a spiral staircase derive its shape from the shell of a snail? Doesn’t the ovoid dome of a monument suggest half of an eggshell?

Coming back to our Triangle, as a geometric shape it is the first realizable sur-face. Its structure is three non-aligned points, connected by three lines, forming

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three angles. Here we have the geometric representation of the number three, em-blem of the Entered Apprentice Degree. But if you draw it with a pencil constant-ly on the paper, this is no longer true. To draw any geometric figure, you must first start from a point. When your pencil comes into contact with the paper, you mark this point. This is the origin, the principle of the figure; it must be taken into ac-count, because without it, nothing would be done. Therefore, the Triangle is no more than a point that has been sufficiently stretched to form a line which is broken in three places, and then closed. Here we have the representation of the Pythagore-an principle: “All is in One, One is in All.”

This brings us to another consideration. We have a point and three lines, mak-ing four elements. In other words, we have 4 that represents the quaternary and 3 which is the tertiary. Under the appearance of 3, we have 4, and here lies the expla-nation for the mysterious quaternary, the logical explanation for the famous sibyl-line phrase of the Hermetists of Antiquity:

“The Tertiary, by means of the Quaternary, returns to the Unity.”

In fact, when the third line meets its point of origin, the Triangle is complete as a figure and a new shape is born. The Triangle represents one unit and there-fore it equals One. Similarly, a man and a woman, uniting, give birth to a child to create a family.

Hence, we can see why three elements are needed – three dimensions (length, width, height or depth) – in order to bring forth the manifestation of matter. This materialization, however, can only take place by means of a fourth element which creates a synthesis. This is why 3 is the number of the Spirit and 4 the number of the matter.

In numerology, we shall only mention the theosophical addition 3 (1+2+3) = 6, geometrically represented by the Seal of Solomon, which consists of two inter-twined Triangles, one pointing upwards and the other pointing downwards.

In astrology, again, we encounter the symbol of the Triangle. These are:

• the three signs of fire: Aries – Leo – Sagittarius• the three signs of earth: Taurus – Virgo – Capricorn• the three signs of air: Gemini – Libra – Aquarius• the three signs of water: Cancer – Scorpio – Pisces

Thus, we have four groups of three signs each, representing the four elements. Here also, in another form, but analogically, we find the Tertiary which, by means of the Quaternary, returns to the Unity – as expressed in the 12 signs of the Zodiac.

On a religious level, I shall mention the Christian Trinity “Father, Son and Holy Spirit.” In the Hindu Trimurti, we find Brahma (the creator), Vishnu (the maintainer) and Shiva (the destroyer). In Egypt, we can mention the Memphite

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Triad composed of the God Ptah, his wife Sekhmet and their son Nefertum; the Osirian Triad, Osiris, Isis and Horus; the Theban Triad, Amun, Mut and Khons. In Ancient Persia, Ahura Mazda is the creator of heaven and earth; his son Spenta Mainyu represents good, the Holy Spirit, while Ahriman personifies evil, the evil spirit. Both symbolize the day-night, life-death opposition and the tendencies to-wards good or evil within each human being. Many other examples of Trinities can be found in most religions.

The Hebrew Kabbalah itself is steeped in the tertiary symbolism of the Trian-gle: in the Hebrew alphabet, there are three Mother Letters (Aleph-Mem-Shin); the Tree of the Sephiroth (or Tree of Life) consists of three Triads, disposed in a tri-angular pattern, plus one unit, for a total of 10 Sephiroth. It is certainly not a coin-cidence if the battery at the beginning and at the end of our Masonic work is a tri-ple battery consisting of three series of three claps, punctuated by the acclamation: Liberty, Equality, Fraternity. Manifestations of this Trinity abound, but I shall now stop, lest it become tedious.

In alchemy, the first matter (or prima materia) consists of three elements: Salt, Mercury and Sulphur, in analogy with the human body, soul and spirit. In fact, the symbolic representation of these elements can be found in the Chamber of Re-flection. For an alchemist, a Triangle pointing upwards symbolizes fire; pointing downwards it symbolizes water. In chemistry, the formula for the water molecule

“H20” clearly illustrates the Triangle: two hydrogen atoms combined with one ox-ygen atom.

In the symbolism of the Triangle, we find a principle deeply anchored in thought: two opposed terms (positive and negative) and a third one whose purpose is to establish an equilibrium, a middle ground. The very structure of the brain re-flects this reality: right hemisphere, left hemisphere and a central part consisting of the corpus callosum, the thalamus and the hypothalamus. In our mental process-es, we strive to find a happy medium between reason and intuition. Well-supported reasoning adheres to the three principles of thesis, antithesis and synthesis.

All I have just said is merely a glimpse into the richness of our symbols. The Tri-angle that I took as an example is a true horn of plenty for all those who are willing to take the trouble to exhaust its meanings. In fact, I am sure that in the discussion that will ensue, you will find new ones.

I shall conclude this PoA by borrowing one last image from alchemy. Alchemy, as you know, aims at the transmutation of base metals, such as lead, into their pur-est perfection which is gold. But what is less known is that alchemy aims above all at the transmutation of the Adept himself and at his purification on a spiritual level. For the alchemist, the Triangle symbolizes the flame, the mysterious and indispen-sable agent of the Great Work. The flame that must always burn with intensity in the heart of each Initiate is Love in the universal sense of the word.


One last quotation as a conclusion:

“The interpretation of symbols plays an important role from a practical perspec-tive. For symbols are natural attempts to reconcile and unite opposites within the psyche.”

This is a thought by Carl Gustav Jung.

J. C.

THE SUN IN THE ZENITH / THE SUN AT HIGH NOON /SAINT JOHN OF THE SUMMER FESTIVAL—HALLDÓRA BJÖRNSDÓTTIR

Icelandic Federation


W.·. M.·., my Sisters and Brothers,

The sun consumes the night,and the night snuffs out the day:you are my refuge beforeand after sunset.

Sigurður Norðdahl’s poem about love begins with these words, which speak of the cycle of nature, the sun and the night, the light that shines and the darkness that extinguishes that light. Before and after sunset a human being finds himself search-ing for a place of refuge, of shelter. And he continues…

You are my happiness beforeand after sunrise,coolness in the fire of summerand warmth that melts the winter ice away.

And human beings once again find themselves caught up, as always, between the opposing forces of nature, day and night, summer and winter, fire and ice. Though light is never far away. This is the day of light in the unending cycle of nature, we experience and have a part to play in the power of its laws, and we try to make sense of our own existence. Let us allow ourselves to be swept away by nature as we re-flect on the solstice.

According to the annotations in Þorsteinn Sæmundsson’s Almanach, the sol-stices correspond to the mo-ment at which the sun is at its furthest from the equa-tor in the northern or southern heavens. The solstices occur twice a year, between the 20th and 24th June and the 20th and 23rd December, the variations in the dates being due to leap years.

We know that the earth makes one full turn on its axis every day, i.e. almost every 24 hours, and one complete revolution round the sun every year, i.e. in just over 365 days. The axis on which the earth rotates is inclined 23.5° from a line per-pendicular to the plane of its orbit, a position it holds as it travels round the sun, with the result that the perceived height of the sun and the amount of sunlight fall-ing in any one place on the planet vary throughout the year. As a result, the average temperature and the amount of rainfall change too, thereby marking out the sea-sons. We who live in these northern latitudes feel the impact of seasonal variations particularly strongly, as the temperatures and the intensity of the light are a clear reminder of which season we are in.

The word solstice comes from the Latin solstitium, from the verb sto, i.e. stop, which indicates that the sun holds its position momentarily, neither rising nor fall-ing in relation to our horizon. At that moment during the summer solstice, at a par-ticular time of day, the projection of the earth’s axis along its trajectory is directed as far as possible towards the sun.


This morning during my daily walk along Leirvogur bay in a cooling mist, I stopped at exactly 10:51, stood still, drew a deep breath, and then breathed out again quietly. The only sounds to be heard were the birds singing and the waves breaking on the shore. At that precise moment the solstice occurred.

Long ago, people learned this rule, this cosmic law, for their very survival de-pended on how well they adapted to nature’s rhythms. There are four cardinal points on the earth’s journey round the sun, the winter solstice, the spring equinox, the summer solstice and the autumnal equinox, and the dates on which these oc-cur constitute a calendar on which people could depend, dates that were regularly marked by festivities. The solstices were celebrated for thousands of years in differ-ent cultures and are mentioned in Scripture. Examples include the cult of Mithras or the Celtic religions, and it was only logical that the Christian Church should in-corporate the dates of the winter and summer solstices.

The sun, this point within the circle, source of life in all its forms, pauses for a moment before continuing along its path. Its trajectory then becomes gradually lower in the sky until it reaches its lowest point, at the winter solstice. Again it halts momentarily before rising once more. Such is the cycle of nature, the cycle of birth, growth, decline and death.

Here, in my homeland, spring has slipped into summer and nature has explod-ed into life. The trees are fully dressed in their greenery and are already gathering strength before autumn arrives. The flowers are in full bloom, the grass is as green as it ever will be, everything is fully grown and the sun is at its height. As are the forces of nature. Nature reveals itself to us like an open lodge where everything can be found: sun, moon, the stars, time, eternity.

Why do Freemasons celebrate Saint John and the summer festival? I have thought about this, and the first idea that springs to mind is their relationship to light, which, as good Masons, we are constantly looking for. It makes sense, then, to celebrate light when it is at its peak, and so I have begun to look for light. I have not-ed that the Grand Lodge of England was founded on 24th June 1717, the anniversary of St John the Baptist’s birth, its creation being regarded as the pivotal element in modern Freemasonry. A great many of the lodges throughout the world celebrate this date especially. We celebrate the solstice, the longest day of the year, generally on 21st June rather than the 24th. The reason for this discrepancy is explained in Árni Björnsson’s book Úr sögu daganna (The history of days): “Owing to an inaccu-racy in the Julian calendar, [the longest day of the year] shifted by almost three days with respect to the solar year when the Church decided to use the dates of the win-ter and summer solstices to fix those of Christ’s and John the Baptist’s birth.”

St John the Baptist is one of the two Johns that Freemasons regard as pillars, the other being St John the Evangelist, to whom the winter festival is dedicated. From a historical point of view, these two figures are particularly interesting, and their link with Freemasonry is no coincidence. Both of them have had a considerable influ-ence on western thought, each in his own way, each entirely different from the other.


Both of them deal with nature’s light, though especially with light in its deep-est, spiritual sense. St John the Evangelist uses the concept of light in his gospel. St John the Baptist is he who bears witness to the light that he is announcing though, as the Evangelist tells us, he is not that light. He puts his message across by explain-ing and throwing light on man’s existence. It is said that he lived a simple, though at the same time intensely spiritual, life. He was called “the Baptist” because he de-livered sermons and baptised people in the Jordan once he had withdrawn into the wilderness. What was St John the Baptist’s message? How did he wish to make us glimpse the light? He announced a new age: that the kingdom of God was at hand; he announced the coming of the Messiah. St John the Baptist’s sermons were built on ideas of solidarity, of a righteous life, of the need to change one’s character and lifestyle. His message essentially concerned the need to live, unreservedly, a holy life. He had no hesitation in pointing out the errors of his fellow citizens’ ways or in encouraging them to lead a better life. He resolutely refused to depart from his con-victions, which in the end cost him his life.

St John the Evangelist does not have this same rigorous image. He was a the-oretician and an esoteric thinker who adopted a more flexible approach to putting his message over – and some have advanced the hypothesis that there is more than one person behind the figure of John the Evangelist. Just like St John the Baptist, he heralded the light, which he interpreted in the same way – he wanted to inform us, throw light on whatever is unclear to us. In these two messages we read of abili-ties and qualities that, as Freemasons, we are advised to search for, honesty and loy-alty in particular.

I say again, the summer festival is a celebration of light. During this festival we celebrate the cycle of nature, at a time when the sun is in the zenith, at its brightest and most powerful. In the same way we celebrate the winter festival, when the time we spend in this light begins to lengthen and we are able to enjoy its benefits longer. When we celebrate light in nature, in Creation, we are carrying a symbolic light illu-minated by the task of the two Johns who enlightened us as to the way we lead our lives. We wish to spread the knowledge and radiance that shone in our lives when we became members of our Order. St John the Baptist’s task was to prepare the way, similar no doubt to the preparatory work carried out in the Craft Lodges, the pur-pose of which is to teach us to know ourselves, how to shape and smooth our Rough Ashlar so that it might be transformed into a Smooth Ashlar, a perfect cube that can be used in the Temple everlasting in which the human hand has no part to play.

The sun is an ancient and therefore universal symbol associated with an age-old understanding of existence, even though its deeper symbolic meaning has fad-ed somewhat in today’s western societies. One reason why descriptions of natural cycles appear in the Scriptures is that we are dealing with a universal phenomenon regarded as responsible for the Creation of all things great and small. The earth’s orbit round the sun therefore symbolises a far more important phenomenon than its link with the passing seasons, namely its relation to Creation as a whole. The sun,


that huge light, takes on a spiritual meaning, and the sun’s course through the heav-ens is a symbol of our spiritual journey in search of light (knowledge). The sum-mer festival is the moment we celebrate the light of our inner awareness, in which the solstice symbolically represents the high point of this journey. This is the day that enjoys the most light, the day devoted to St John the Baptist and his quest for light. It is also the day on which we can pause a while and meditate on how far we have progressed, the point we have reached and where we are headed. This is the day when our self-awareness is reinforced, when we consider how our work in the lodge has lighted the way for us, how we may continue to make progress in devel-oping that inner light and so in transforming ourselves. Let us always bear in mind that, symbolically, whenever Freemasons meet, the sun is always in the zenith.

Like St John the Baptist we continue to search for light. Light is life itself. We receive our existence, a fleeting moment when judged on the eternal scale, in which we are confronted by ourselves and by eternity. The search for light is the search for life, in the backwash of passing time.

H. B.

UNIVERSAL BROTHERHOOD—S.·. S.·. Federation of West Africa


HUMAN RIGHTS IN SENEGAL

During my search in the San Luis cemetery over 25 years ago, I noticed a grave with masonic characters on it.

The grave was around 2.5 x 1.2 m, flanked by seven small columns placed on a square base and united by a rope, evoking the knotted rope that surrounds the lodge.

It presented the following elements:

• At its foot, three steps invite progress, elevation and reading of the epitaph. • A marble plaque of around 80 x 60 cm states: “To the memory of our Illustri-

ous Sister Moret first propagandist of International Mixed Masonry of Human Rights in A.·. O.·. F.·. who left prematurely to the Eternal Orient on 16 March, 1924 G.·. GG.·. GGG.·. But we remember.”

• In the center a six point star, formed by two inverted triangles and in the middle a dome; another small dome is engraved in the upper arm of the star.

• The head of the construction is more monumental, covered with symbols. It is made up of four Doric columns, grouped in pairs: the first two columns, in front, each with four shells (three clustered on the base and one placed on the upper part) and each is connected to the two columns located behind; the sec-ond group of columns, behind, have a lintel and a triangle where three bronze rivets frame the number 30. Sister Moret was a 30º (unless it was a usage of the time, referring to her as Illustrious Sister, but that would be erroneous or even abusive).

• Between the four Doric columns, two broken columns, one taller than the other.

For a long time we have believed that the story of Human Rights in Senegal started in 1962 with the foundation of the Universal Brotherhood, but this grave provides evidence of activity of Human Rights in Senegal and in AOF in 1924, that is, forty years earlier!

Circumstances have allowed us to know the speeches given during the funer-al rites of Sister Moret, one of which was read by a “Delegate of the international mixed obedience of Human Rights,” whose name is unknown, who must have lived in Senegal, or else he would not have been able to attend the funeral that day. He ex-pressed himself in these terms:

“[...] Other voices, in addition to mine, have already said what you have been a member of the teaching personnel and educator of young souls that you were trusted with. With what great spirit you carried out philanthropy. Who you knew how to plant ideas of justice and kindness, and to help women understand their value, showing them the importance of the role that they must carry out in Hu-manity. With the goal of gathering them here indissolubly, you created the Hu-man Rights Lodge ‘The New Dawn’ in Dakar.”


Apparently, The New Dawn, with the number 208 in eastern Dakar, did not sur-vive the death of Sister Moret.

It was impossible to find any information in Human Rights, because the ar-chives disappeared during the World War II.

Thanks to the search carried out by Jean Luc Le Bras in the G.·. O.·. D.·. F.·. ar-chives, we know that this Lodge was created in 1922 and that the founding mem-bers were eleven G.·. O.·. D.·. F.·. Brothers, nine of which were members of “The East-ern Star,” under the direction of its R.·. W.·. M.·. Jean Louis Turbé, who has a plaza named after him.

They were, Jean Louis Turbé, Yves Turbé, Fayard, Paul Larré (Turbé’s son in-law), Jean Mognier, Francis Merle, Jean Pourroy, Joseph Pal and Francis Piguet. They were joined by two habitual G.·. O.·. D.·. F.·. visitors, members of Parisian lodges, Jules Molhant, member of “Socialist Action” and Gaston Taté (born 19 September, 1869) member of “Masonic Democracy.”

The author informs us that in 1939 there was a tentative attempt to form anoth-er Human Rights lodge in Dakar that failed.

For 25 years our lodge has cared for the grave of our Sister Moret, which we visit as much as possible.

UNIVERSAL BROTHERHOOD

Lodge consecration

We don’t know much about the circumstances in which the Universal Brotherhood Lodge was consecrated in Dakar on 1 October, 1962.

Neither oral tradition, nor administrative documents precisely explain the event and, unfortunately, only one very elderly (96 years old) founding member is still alive to provide us information.

The minutes of the meetings are (not definitively, I hope) lost, so only the Lodge Book containing the list of members helps us to understand, reading between the lines, the evolution and significant information about the Lodge.

The founding members were:

• Roger Voileau, R.·. W.·. M.·., professor, initiated in 1947• Jean Leger, W.·. S.·. W.·., Director of Society, initiated in 1952• Elise Ledé, W.·. J.·. W.·., professor in CEG on Neuville Street in St. Louis, also

initiated in 1947, honorary member in 1965• Georges Beaucé, Speaker, Director of CET of Lycée Delafosse, initiated in 1951• Henri Soulinhac, Secretary, professor, initiated in 1957• Marie-Anne Voileau, née Rembault, Grand Expert, wife of Roger, professor, in-

itiated in 1947 on the same day• Joseph Party, Treasurer, businessman, initiated in 1927, Honorary Member in 1976


Among the seven founding members are five professors and five men. We should pay homage to them, especially to our Sister Marie Anne Voileau who

at 96 years old still attends the Lodge meetings and is particularly present among us for her thinking. And her two sons and daughters in-law wonderfully decorated our columns today!

And since then…

In fifty years, Universal Brotherhood has initiated or affiliated 194 brothers and sis-ters, which is a respectable four per year, more or less.

If I’m not mistaken, the majority has been women, 112 women and 82 men, which is 20% more women than men, which is acceptable if you take into consid-eration the long tradition of masculine masonry and the absence, for a long time, of female masonry in Senegal.

There have been sixteen (16) R.·. W.·. M.·. at the head of our workshop.These were, in order:

• Roger Voileau, founder R.·. W.·. M.·. 1962-1967; Honorary R.·. W.·. M.·. 1967 (R.·. W.·. M.·. of African Prudencia, D.·. H.·., Orient of Abidjan 1973-1974; R.·. W.·. M.·. of African Fraternity, G.·. O.·. D.·. F.·., Orient of Abidjan 1974-1975).

• Georges, Beaucé, 1967-1970• Guy Cabit, 1970-1973, M.·. Il.·. H.·., died on 29 December, 1996• Nicole Forestier, 1973-1974• Guy Cabit, 1974-1977• Fran.·. Ada.·., 1977-1980• Cha.·. Sci.·., 1980-1983• Je.·. Pi.·. Pal.·., 1983-1986• Paul.·. Ber.·., 1986-1989 • Cha.·. Sci.·., 1989-1991, Honorary R.·. W.·. M.·.• Syl.·. San.·., 1991-1994• Lil.·. Miy.·., 1994-1995, Honorary Member• Dor.·. de Me.·., 1995-1998• An.·. Ab.·., 1998-2001• Léa.·. Mar.·., 2001-2005• Als.·. Dan.·., 2005-2008• Yous.·. Cis.·., 2008-2011• Sali.·. Nd.·., from 2011

The first initiate, in April 1963, was Suzy Pelletier, née Touchet, who had a store called Suzy's Shoes in Independence Place, where the Imperial restaurant is located.

Except for the Master of Ceremonies Edouard Monville, who comes from Martinism, affiliated in July 1963, the first African initiated into the Universal


Brotherhood was Sister Ma.·. Die.·., born in St. Louis on June 10th, 1925, a midwife who was initiated on April 7th 1967, became a Fellowcraft on February 7th, 1969 and exalted to Master on June 3rd, 1971. Various times an official of the Lodge, she was irradiated in 1973, reintegrated in 1976 and irradiated again in 1981.

Our Sister An.·. Mb.·. D´Er.·., and our Brother Fran.·. Ada.·., were initiated on May 8th, 1970. Our Brother, François, was the first African R.·. W.·. M.·. of our lodge. Although he returned to his home country of Togo, today he is with us sitting in the East in consideration of the high offices he carried out in our obedience and our federation.

Our Sister Annette is the oldest member of the Workshop still living in Senegal and our Dean of age. She is an honorary member at 87 years old.

The most senior member of the Workshop is our very discreet Sister Jos:. ND:., initiated on December 21st, 1971, almost 42 years ago!

If we remember the past of our Lodge, we will discover that the problems of the profane world do not seem to have had a great influence on our progress or activities.

We can regret this, since staying comfortably in our shell is not necessarily a good thing, but we should probably be happy, the metals have stayed carefully “at the door to the temple” despite numerous solicitudes to enter.

Various members of the Lodge have had a national destination or participated in the governments of Senegal or the Ivory Coast.

Some have had important professional responsibilities at the national or inter-national level or have been known in the artistic or literary worlds.

None of this has affected our Lodge, which has continued on its pace, so much so that “the happy peoples have no history.”

So when small tempests arise in our teacups, we all think we are saviors that have to confront enormous dangers to guide our ships home, forgetting that a ship cannot have various captains.

We just pretend that it scares us, but I want to believe that nobody is deceived by this.

We maintain excellent relations with other Obediences in Senegal and we have a large number of habitual visitors from all the Orients.

It’s true that our banquets are well known and in the words of one of them “In bang for your buck, the D.·. H.·. is the best restaurant in Dakar.”

One of the characteristics of our lodge is that is is essentially a “transitional Lodge” which brings brothers and sisters from the most diverse Orients together, who quickly leave to other Orients and recruit new members, it is in general a sign of vitality, it is for us, a vital obligation.

Even today, of the 64 members on our books, 24 live abroad. Our stance has always been to think that the international nature of our obedi-

ence helps our brothers and sisters to plant seeds wherever life takes them, and our experience confirms that we are not mistaken.


A serious lodge without history, which has always organized its meetings with the regularity of a metronome, if “Universal Brotherhood” never thought that it could expand, creating one or many small sister Lodges in Senegal, it is because she preferred to continue to search the initiated road by creating a Lodge of Perfection

“Bount o Ndakarou” (that works from the 4th to the 14th degree) and also later a “Keurou yakaar” Chapter (that works from the 15th to the 18th degree.

Soon we will close the initiate circle, because we have the possibility of opening an Aeropago for the workings of the 19th to the 30th degree.

Our Lodge has also become intertwined with the W.·. L.·. “Ariadne's Thread” No. 1663, from the Orient of Bordeaux and we maintain fruitful relations with the sister Lodge and its members, some of them are here with us today.

Multiple challenges are waiting for us from here to the next fifty years that probably will be celebrated by others instead of us, regarding the progress of medi-cine in providing a longer lifespan… But we have to be aware of the collective inher-itance that we have received and that we have to transmit to all who will follow us, without discrimination and being careful not to appropriate an institution that is far above all of us, in the temporal as well the spiritual plane.

The rest hardly belongs to us, and we should never forget that “the wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” [John 3.8].

S. S.

HUMAN RIGHT—CLAUDINE FRADET French Federation


Human right or human rights (if we mean the respect due to human dignity) have been an ever increasing subject of reflection over these past years in the fields of humanitarian aid, religious matters, politics or scientific research, and the matter has been even more painful since January 27th 2015.

We are thus constantly reminded of our belonging to the Mixed and Interna-tional Masonic Order “Le Droit Humain” (Human Right) whose title gives it a spe-cific identity and shows us which meaning our action should take both on an initi-atory and social level.

The mixed and International Masonic Order “Le Droit Humain” is the only one which has chosen a distinctive title.

Is it a way to distinguish ourselves among other masonic orders or could this formula be a sort of subtitle meant to lay strong emphasis on the first goal of Free masonry, the building of a society of justice, fraternity and harmony?

A title which implies several questions. Are we talking about the rights of men and women or about human right? Should we study a citizen's identity governed by laws or an ontological identity,1 which leads us into the fields of morals, or even metaphysics? The rights of Man or the rights of an individual ?

Or could this title hint at the masonic utopia, located in the “nowhere coun-try” but rooted in the principles of humanism of “liberty, equality, fraternity,” as de-scribed in article 3 of our International Constitution “the achievement of the max-imum development for all humans?” The principles for which we have pledged (at the 4th degree) to be “faithful to our duties for humankind until death.” The princi-ple which could be threatened in its very core by “trans humanism” which is based on values alien to ours.

But the masonic utopia, even if it is as all utopias an unreachable dream, is also an attempt to give shape to a principle or ideal. When the principle or ideal belongs to the spiritual field, an abstract field, couldn't utopia be the other side of what is possible, of action, of the will to do as in the formula “I wish (I want) and I build?” As is implied in the words of Céline Bryon-Portet: “Even if utopia is an unreachable dream, it is a protest and an attempt to change the established order,”2 and here she decribes the dynamic aspect of our quest.

A look taken at the history of our order can shed light on the choice of a title which bears a timeless but also prospective character (if we consider the current discoveries of neuro sciences).

This approach gives us information on the goals of our founding members who, at the time, were involved as republican democrats, in a fight to promote the noble ideas of the motto “Liberty, equality, fraternity,” more particularly equality between men and women.

1 “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him” [Gen. 2.18].

2 Céline Bryon-Portet. Dictionnaire de la Franc-maçonnerie. P. Y. Beaurepaire (dir.). A. Colin, 2014.


As Marc Grosjean reminds us, Georges Martin founded his temple on “Free Thought, Morals, Solidarity, Social Justice. […] The goals of the new obedience would be to achieve Human Right, the equality of rights for both sexes in the laws of every country, fraternity between all humans on earth and a contant progress to-wards social justice.”3

Actually, in 1890 Georges Martin, after Maria Deraismes was initiated in 1892 had thought about founding a mixed lodge inside the Great Symbolic Scottish Lodge, but he had met with a flat refusal.

He had even found a distinctive title: it would be called “Le Droit des Femmes” (Women's Rights), a perfect illustration of his fight against what he called “the first and foremost prejudice, the inferiority of women.”4

But when Maria Deraismes founded the obedience which was to become ours, she named it Great Symbolic Scottish Lodge of France “Le Droit Humain,” which included all mankind, men and women (and soon after the whole world with the notion of international order in 1896).

She had a wider project, the title: “Le Droit des Femmes” might have assimi-lated, even reduced the work of the order to a feminist fight, however the title “Le Droit Humain” by including men and women gave the order another scope: not only was the place of women in society ackowledged, it also acknowledged their equality with all human beings in all fields of life.

However, in this time of major political events significant for the future, the masonic order Le Droit Humain when choosing this title and adopting a very sober ritual seemed to adopt a militant aspect mostly putting forward a twofold demand: equality between men and women and mixing of the sexes, meaning the implemen-tatation of this equality in society.

Which could lead to a misunderstanding about the objective: what came first ? The masonic or the social goal? Could the masonic order “Le Droit Humain” be as-similated to a humanitarian association defending men's and women's rights?

If “Le Droit Humain” has taken part in actions leading towards an improve-ment of the human condition through the individual commitment of brothers and sisters in political and social life, through the declarations of the order itself, one should not mistake the militant action of any citizen (be he a free mason) and the action of a free mason who has pledged to work for the progress of human kind and the building of a fraternally organized society (as written in the International Con-stitution). In other words, there is a visible, outside reality in the masonic action but also an inside, invisible one achieved through a personal research,5 which, of course, leads to the outside one, “the double bottom” as Dominique Jardin would say.

3 L'ordre maçonnique, le Droit humain. PUF, coll. Que sais-je ?, 2003.

4 Georges Martin cuoted by M. Grosjean. « Question internationale France 2011 ». R. Bruni.

5 Dominique Jardin. La tradition des francs-maçons, p. 268. Dervy, 2014.


This dream, the utopia of mankind organized in free and fraternal societies [I.·. C.·. article 1] which goes much further than the conception of the profane socie-ty in which we fight both at the social and political level, commits the free mason to a masonic path which he will never step aside from as the achievement of a world of peace and harmony and his own self fulfillment are closely linked.

What about his/her commitment? He/she has undertaken to walk a path whose basic principle is the idea that each brother's or sister's betterment will lead to the betterment of other men and women and the whole world until all mankind reaches a world of harmony and the highest state of happiness one can hope to experience.

A utopian vision it may be, but, just like the silent and intimate transformation associated with our initiation, this discreet influence being distilled from day to day,6 isn't it actually quite efficient?

An approach, anyway, which develops the idea that the temple of human kind is being built from the inner temple, as the work initiated inside the temple is reflect-ed outside, what Georges Martin called “the implementation of fraternity between all human beings on earth.”

This ideal of fraternity which justifies the principle engraved on each column of the Sovereign Temple may be the very foundation of what it is to be human [I.·. C.·. article 2]. A human being is a human being. A truly universal principle which led Georges Martin to write (before the human genome was discovered): “All human beings are brothers and sisters in humanity.”7

The building of such fraternity implies and justifies for each mason the quest for his motivation: a quest for what overcrosses the notions of fraternity, equality and liberty, the quest for what we might call human identity, identical for all, yet different for each of us.

A human identity which verges on the substance of being, an irreductible, uni-versal principle, which we are made of, this part in each of us which for René Char will be “awakened at dawn by this meaningless or sinister question: will you find to-day someone you can talk to?”8

What the Very Illustrious Bruno Pinchard calls “the hidden, the abstruse, the inner depth, the secret.”9

This masonic utopia eventually launches us on an initiatory path which does not lead to the discovery of mystical or esoteric revelations10 but is more basically a personal quest (thanks to all the messages conveyed by our rituals and symbols) for

6 François Jullien. Les Transformations silencieuses, Chantiers I. Livre de poche, coll. Biblio Essais, 2009.

7 Quotation from Rémi Boyau.

8 René Char. «Bandeaux de Claire», Pauvreté et Privilège.

9 M.·. Il.·. H.·. B. Pinchard. Conference at G.·. O.·., May 2015.

10 D. Juette, Grand Master of the Order 2007-2012. Conference at Vézelay, August 2014.


our own humanity. A quest which naturally leads us to acknowledge the humanity of the others, whether men or women. Thus the implementation of a really human-istic goal is made possible.

This inner work leads to finding in ourselves an authenticity which (freed from any judgment) enables us to acknowledge (recognize) the authenticity in others, as

“the only way to get to know the Other in depth is to try to reach what is most deep-ly hidden in ourselves.”11 A guarantee for the formula of the Great Inspectors Com-manding Inquisitors: “Weigh with kindness and love the true worth of humans.”

In, the words of Paul de Tarse we have a transition from the law “engraved in marble tablets to the law written in the heart's tablets.”12 Through word (speech) and action, we find our place in the human world as if we were born a second time: it is the Kadosch knight.

Let's remember here the song of the fisherman in The Skeleton Woman tale:14 “What should I kill in myself today so that I can create more life? What should die in myself so that I can love?”

This is the price to pay so that the free mason can become an element of the building, a “living stone,”15 in the words of Roger Dachez, in the recognition, the building or the defense of human right.

An action obviously rooted in the lodge (or workshop), a fleeting reflection of the Temple of humankind, a utopian dream out of time and space, which feeds this irresistible wish to always travel farther towards the others' humanity. All this be-ing made possible among the variety of today's masonic landscape.

An action which, however, would remain a dead letter if the “few fragments of Wisdom acquired in the temple were not shared with all humans” (ritual 33rd degree).

CONCLUSION

Let us try to give an answer to the question asked in our introduction. “Le Droit Hu-main” is both our order's distinctive title and the banner of all masonic orders who want to “open to all human beings the path to the light of liberty and happiness.”

As the distinctive title of our order, it describes the idea which inspired its crea-tion, the respect of human dignity, evidenced in our specific aspects, the internation-al side, and above all the equality of men and women (it was indeed a revolutionary

11 Cioran. De l’inconvénient d’être né. Gallimard, 1973.

12 René Lévy. «Essai sur Paul de Tarse». Editions L'Age d'Homme, 2013.

13 Hannah Arendt. The Human Condition, chapter V.

14 Clarissa Pinkola Estées. « Femmes qui courent avec les loups ». Editions Grasset, 1996.

15 1/Peter/2/5.


concept at a time when Zola was publishing The Rougon-Macquart and the stories of Gervaise and Nana).

This mixing of men and women goes farther than the fact they work together in a lodge, it means the respect of each brother's or sister's identity and it can become a symbolic tool for personal fulfillment as well as a powerful social lever.16

But, further, “Le Droit Humain,” the universal human right, describes both the utopia we all believe in (worldwide harmony with peace and justice) and the fight of free masons to reach this goal.

We therefore know where our duty lies: an action oriented towards the human being, a living being endowed with consciousness, power of thought and speech. As Georges Martin wished it, the formula “Le Droit Humain” means the will to ac-knowldge and define universal rights for all human beings.

And the fact remains that in order to “defend the immortal principles of our or-der” and preserve them, what better way for the free masons than live among oth-ers, as advised by Jean Mourgues, “in the infinite, obscure and secret fraternity, the fraternity of human beings, constantly being forged against ill winds and against men themselves?”17

C. F.

16 Tommaso Campanella. The City of the Sun.

17 Jean Mourgues. Carnets de route, vol. 1. Club Lectures et Culture, 1974.

THE FORMATION OF FREE-MASONRY—RIITTA SUURLA Finnish Federation


The Masonic formation is one of the most beautiful educational processes in the field of personal mastery. We learn by personal experience and not only through knowledge. That keeps us in continuous change throughout our lives.

In this article I want to share some ideas, methods and views that we in the Finnish Federation believe in and have successfully used. As every freemason rep-resents his/her own thinking and understanding, whatever (s)he is bringing for-ward, so will I talk about our work in Finland through my own perceptions and insights. As I am a professional value consultant, trainer and coach in internation-al businesses, I do concentrate here on people development. Whereas freemason search for truth, businesses search for success; both do that through skillful people and great inspiration. The source of inspiration is in values.

I think it is important that we freemasons around the world share and have di-alogue about our views of how we interpret the formation process and it’s methods. Although we have traditional way of working, we do also have new ideas and differ-ent interpretations of masonic development. My aim is to start that kind of dialogue by inviting my masonic colleagues to share their views in the coming Bulletins. So we all can learn more and deepen our understanding of formation.

THE PHILOSOPHY OF FORMATION

The goals of the order of Le Droit Humain define that we respect individual mind and individual search for the perfection of humanity. The target of formation is to help members to understand more deeply who they are and how they can continu-ously improve themselves towards mastery. In Finnish Federation we concentrate on our immediate experiences by searching answers from within and sharing our find-ings with other members. We do not search for certain religious experience, instead we look for connection and concentration in rituals and deepen our understanding of metaphors, allegories and symbols of freemasonry. In all our studies we empha-size the meaning of personal experiences and insights, because we believe that all change in humanity starts from one individual. Our main methods are working to-gether, discussing, learning dialogue, practicing values, challenging members for cre-ative thinking, arranging seminars and workshops for masonic education, publishing magazines and articles in our intranet called Ark, and inspiring others for continu-ous personal development and self-leadership. We try very hard to be free from all dogmas and all kinds of authorities to be able to improve thinking capacity, to under-stand more profoundly the idea of man. But to do that we also need to be aware of hindrances and locked principles that prevent our development in humanity.

Knowledge is not skillfulness

In Finnish Federation we want to underline the personal professionalism in act-ing with beauty, strength and wisdom in any area of life. That is leading by example


wherever we are. It is not enough just to understand a metaphor or a symbol and give them speculative explanations. Knowledge can be communicated widely, but to be able to learn new skills we need to act and have personal insights by doing. In-terpretations of symbols are idealistic concepts and they do not give us experience, awareness, and meaningfulness. If we can explain what a symbol means, we have lost the power of the symbol.

Symbols and values

An example could be the square, which is a tool for measurement or a shape in ge-ometry. We may explain that it represents in freemasonry good behavior towards other people. In this way it is a rule or a guidance of how to behave. But it could mean much more if we learn to experience and make this symbol alive to us. When square opens in our consciousness we may have an insight that everything is right just now or all is well. This is an authentic situation where individual’s conscious-ness changes in realization that all is well. And that might change many things in person’s life as it releases energy, wipes out worries, and creates peace of mind. So how do we help our brothers and sisters to gain this wisdom, as it cannot be given through knowledge, but only through practicing, becoming more aware of freema-sonry mysteries and challenging oneself to search harder within and sharing inner dialogue with other masons.

The same idea goes for values. Values are ideals and concepts of what is impor-tant. We mainly use values to communicate our ideals or to do some charity. I per-sonally have found values as tools to create skills. By seeking the energy of values and practicing them daily we must start to act accordingly. This is not easy to do, as values are very abstract concepts. Let us think about value respect. What does it mean and how do we “walk the talk?” To figure that out one has to put it into prac-tice and find the way, how to show respect in different situations. While doing that, we learn that working with people, respect means being interested in what they say and listen to them carefully. While doing this often enough we become much better listeners. Values create skills: Respect creates the skill to listen.

SOME METHODS OF FORMATION

Freemasonry teaches us that our duty is to improve ourselves, search for truth and build our temple to the progress and perfection of humanity. The key question for this kind of a goal is how do we do it, how do we make it happen. No matter how much knowledge we have or how many discussions we have about that matter, we will not improve without deeds.


Practicing method

In Finland we use in many Lodges the practicing method, which aims for con-sciousness and consequently behavioral change. The way we implement it is that we choose once a month (in our regular Lodge meeting) a value we think is impor-tant to us, e.g. bravery, as practicing target. Through that value we are practicing awareness, mindfulness, and new habits to improve and strengthen our skills ac-cording to bravery.

“Practicing is a self-motivated and conscious way of building value based skills and habits by repeating daily a new routine in a state of full awareness” [Riitta Suurla].

By practicing we become aware of how we think and behave. This helps us identify and see how we use our skills in everyday situations. Then we decide what skills and habits we need to improve. In other words we want to refine our knowl-edge into skillfulness. We do that only if it is important to us (values) and if we see results soon enough.

After a month’s practicing we share our insights, findings, difficulties and expe-riences with our brothers and sisters in the Lodge. This is most interesting because everyone has worked on the same subject and therefore everyone has something to say about it. We learn together and no one has the right answer, instead we all be-come more skillful in searching. In this way we can support each other on our life-long learning path by giving feedback. This is very useful method in the formation process of first and second degree as well. We can apply practicing from values to masonic tools for example. Pure knowledge about tools gives a little understand-ing of the mystery of building our temple. But practicing daily in real life situations will most certainly give a new insight to masonic tools and to perfection of human-ity. This understanding needs humble awakening: Even a master is always incom-plete, never perfect.

Dialogue and sharing ideas

Dialogue is another example of a method that we are learning and using not only in study meetings but also in the Lodge meetings. We prefer discussions and di-alogues to lectures or presentations by one individual. That way many members can join and learn visionary thinking in cooperation. The essence of dialogue is an inquiry that surfaces ideas, perceptions, and understanding that people do not al-ready have. We have a dialogue when we explore the uncertainties and questions that no one has answers to. In this way we begin to think together – not simply re-port out old thoughts.


FORMATION OF WARDEN AND THESIS OF DIFFERENT DEGREES

We use a lot of effort and support to help our Entered Apprentices and Fellow Craft masons to create their own way of thinking and expressing their personal ideas while preparing their thesis. We also have thesis for Master Masons. In some Lodges we have two written thesis in each degree. In the first degree for example a member writes an essay of the subject: What does wisdom in life mean to me? And the sec-ond essay is about some masonic subject. After giving presentation in the Lodge the member is asked several questions about his/her development as freemason. Both parts are difficult, the questioning and the answering. This way we want to make the young masons develop their thinking and especially their evaluations skills, but at the same time all members of the Lodge participate by asking insightful ques-tions. Asking profound questions is much more difficult than giving answers.

The Finnish Federation has also started Formation for Wardens and Master Masons who will be entering that position in the near future. The goal is to ena-ble our members to become more skillful in coaching, listening, and helping young masons to set personal targets, experience symbols, learn interaction and practice ritual behavior.

Freemasonry is filled with great values and ethical ideas. I think our most im-portant goal and duty to future generations is awareness of how incomplete we are. It is easy to say that we all must be equal and our ideal is fraternity, but I want to ask daily from myself, how do I do that and how can I improve.

R. S.

THE SACRED IN ARCHITECTURE—KRISTÍN JÓNSDÓTTIR Icelandic Federation


Setting up a Lodge is a hugely important event, and becoming a Lodge mem-ber should mark a water-shed in the life of anyone who decides to take this step. Al-though the existence and building of the Temple may seem somewhat confusing to begin with, our understanding of the symbolism gradually grows with time. It has not gone unnoticed by the members of an Order that advocates religious toler-ance as part of its programme that all sacred buildings share a certain number of features, whatever name the builders may give their God. In this paper I shall try to shed light on the characteristics com-mon to such buildings and to show that the symbolism relating to the way in which a Temple is con-structed has its rightful place in mason-ic knowledge, among men and women who wish to cultivate the best in themselves.

The world is a complex place, and many aspects of the natural world are beyond man, surpass his un-derstanding, and even prove terrifying at times. Yet perhaps it is man himself, by way of his know-ledge and supremacy, that constitutes the great-est threat to humanity.

Since the dawn of time man has endeavoured to make sense of his existence and the world about him; being powerless, in his struggle for survival, he has been won over by the idea that heavens concealed an ideal place, a haven awaiting him at the end of his earthly life. From which, no doubt, sprang the notion that man’s con-duct in this earthly life could influence the fate of his soul after death. These ide-as are to be found in paganism, Christianity and in other religions. Gimli, for instance, was the best possible place for pagans to be in heaven, destined as it was for good men at the moment of ragnarök, the end of time. It is given only to a few, however, to perceive something other than the physical world. Whenever no intelligible ex-planation was forthcoming, man invented his own. Generally speak-ing, these are what we refer to as myths, which by their very nature are attempts at clarifying the past at any point in the light of current knowledge, and at explaining why real world phenomena are as they are. The true nature of myths is not in doubt; they are what they are and it is in this spirit that we ap-proach them. Certain myths become leg-ends. In the world of science, it is quite natural for conflicts to arise between what is demonstrably true and what springs from belief.

Cities and temples were often supposed to reflect heaven on earth, which brings us back to the human desire for a higher world. Jerusalem in Israel and Varanasi in India are good examples. The Hindu temple Sri Rangam is thought to have de-scended from heaven, whereas the Kaaba in Mecca is believed to be an exact replica of a heavenly temple (*). The appearance of sacred buildings and the rites observed there are also made intelligible through myths. Beyond their role of reflecting heav-en, sacred buildings often have to serve as a setting in which mythical events are re-lived, thereby confirming the truth of what the myth is believed to reveal. For ex-ample, in the Hindu Vedas, sanctifying the sacrificial altar testifies to the story of creation. The clay forming the base of the altar represents earth, the water mixed with the clay represents water as the primordial element, and the side walls of the altar represent air (which I find rather difficult to understand, though that is what


my source maintains). In Christianity, churches provide the setting for rites perpet-uating the memory of Christ’s birth, crucifix-ion and resurrection, the Last Supper being celebrated each time anew by way of communion.

A replica of the universe is to be found in the mandala, a sacred Hindu sym-bol, the word originally meaning “circle.” An explanatory sketch shows us a square with four paths of access. Within the square lies a circle with, of course, a fixed central point. The circle symbolises heaven or the realm of the divine, while the square represents the material world. The sides of the square relate to the four car-dinal points, the central point symbolising the mountain of the world, i.e. the holy mountain Meru through which the axis of the world passes. This marks the cen-tre of everything in existence. During meditation, the mandala forms the basis of the inner journey towards the centre. In architecture, the mandala represents the fundamental structure of the sacred reflecting the universe in three dimensions. At the centre of the sacred lies the Holy of Holies, dominated by a tower symbolising Mount Meru.

Masonic knowledge also includes that of the square and the circle, as well as the central point, our way of squaring the Lodge and the path leading to its core at the centre. Man, who seeks proximity to the divine essence, prepares a space with this goal in mind, a Holy of Holies, which for us is the Altar. It is here at the cen-tre that we take our oaths, symbolically in the Holy of Holies within ourselves. We show due respect for justice by “squaring the angles” and we advance in straight lines, thereby symbolising the unerring plumb-line. Our efforts towards leading a more noble life brings us ever closer to the reality we aspire to (it may be useful to refer back to the Tracing Board of the First Degree).

This idea of the sacred is to be found almost everywhere, even though it may have nothing to do with religious buildings. Many an ancient civilisation saw its community, its urban centres, as a reflection of a heavenly world and built its towns and cities accordingly, as did the Aztecs, for example. Romulus traced a circle with his plough round the Palatine Hill. This circle was known as mundus (world). The furrow was divided into four, as was mentioned with reference to the mandala. This ceremonial, or other similar symbolic ceremonials, was carried out in all ancient Roman cities. The priest, or some other holy person, would draw a circle on the ground, dividing it into four parts corresponding to the cardinal points. The line from west to east symbolised the path of the sun, while the line from north to south represented the axis of the world (*).

The dome-shaped igloo, once lived in by the Inuit, has sometimes been com-pared to the uterus and its narrow entrance tunnel to the vagina (*). The womb is a sacred place – at all times, not only while the foetus is growing. It represents a sanc-tuary for women. All women have a duty to take care of them-selves, both spirit-ually and physically, for they carry the future within them. Perhaps one could also argue that each home is a sacred place: the cradle of family life, so to speak? Many people are inordi-nately fond of beautifying the entrance to their home, some even


claiming that the entrance reflects the life within. All of which goes to show the lengths man will go to to cultivate whatever he holds sacred.

The way in which a Temple is constructed is so rich in meaning that a divine origin is often put for-ward to explain its design. In ancient Iraq (2100 B.C.) king Lagaash had a temple built to the glory of Ningirsu, the deity protecting the city. Now a man appeared to him in a dream; he was as tall as the sky and as heavy as the earth. The man, who was the god of rain and fertility in ancient Babylon, or-dered the king to raise a temple to him, disclosing the necessary plans in the smallest de-tail. Statues of this king often depict him with the drawings in his lap.

Even though in times of old man was unaware that the earth revolved round the sun while spinning on its own axis, the belief of the ancient Scandinavians, ása-trú, turned the ash tree Yggdrasil into the centre and axis of the world. This tree changed its appearance whenever gods and men had failed to behave as they should.

The pillars that stood to either side of the seats used by the first Icelandic set-tlers were in some sense the “ash trees” of their colony. They were both the main-stay of the household and the middle point about which everything revolved. Who-ever was in possession of these pillars believed in them; they were regarded as being

“alive”, capable of providing them with invaluable information. The parallel here is the same as before: the centre of the circle becomes a sort of axis or pivotal point. And it is no coincidence that these pillars stood next to the seat belonging to the master of the household, for wom-en had little power in those days.

In the early days of Christianity, the congregations of the faithful were a sort of riposte against the pa-gan temples. Believers used lay buildings secular buildings to perform their ceremonies. Later, when they constructed buildings designed for worship, a distinct form of architecture was born: the basilica (*). The entrance led to the altar and beyond this to the throne of the bishop, who represented the mas-ter in heaven. In Western Europe, the basilica took the form of a Latin cross, re-calling the cross of Christ. The church was intersected by the transept between the nave and the choir, as is the case, for example, in the church of Breiðabólstaður in Fljótshlíð, of Húsavik and of Hjarðarholt, all designed by the architect Rögnvaldur Ólafsson. His art is highly regarded for the the buildings’ neat proportions and their refined workmanship.

Symbolic imagery soon began to appear in various parts of the church. The northern arm of the tran-sept, associated with darkness, with cold and evil, was decorated with Old Testament images, while the southern arm, associated with light and warmth, displayed those of the New Testament. The floor of the church, from west to east, led to the holy altar, thus symbolising progress from darkness to light, from death to eternal life. This imagery is underlined by the position at the entrance in the west of the baptismal fonts symbolising the start of life with Christ. A link can also be made here with the beliefs of the ancient Egyptians, for whom the Earth to the West, as they called all lands to the west of the Nile, were the realm of the dead. It was there that kings were buried and that the deceased began their


great voyage. I think this comparison will be clear to any freemason. I am referring to the position of the main officers in the symbolic lodge, to the role they play and to the words they speak in all de-grees.

In Snorri’s Edda too, the North was the realm of darkness and therefore of cold and death. Warmth and growth appeared from the South at the moment the world took shape (**). It is also true that the world was destroyed when Surtr came from the South to set the earth ablaze so that it might emerge from the abyss, fresh and purified, after ragnarök, the end of time caused by the loose behaviour of gods and men, their betrayals, incest and acts of treachery. That nature should be reborn through fire is both ap-propriate and familiar to us.

The architecture of churches and other sacred buildings has undergone many changes, and will continue to do so. Certain elements, however, have remained essential, such as the altar, the use of the circle, squares and triangles. And the fact remains that the Temple extends from East to West and from North to South, chasms in space at the centre of the earth. Let us apply the metaphor of the Tem-ple to man-kind, in which each individual represents a single stone in the invisible edifice we call the Temple of the human race. By constantly and honestly practis-ing our rituals and building up our understanding, we set ourselves the ultimate goal of attaining moral perfection. Let us hope that, when the time comes, we shall deserve the name of Man.

My remarks can but highlight the fact that the setting for our activities must lend us the strength to face trials and tribulations of all kinds, even conditions that may seem beyond the powers of man. Here, we understand the old adage “practice makes perfect” in its deepest sense.

K. J.

Sources

(*) Caroline Humphrey & Piers Vitebsky. Sacred Architecture. Duncan Baird Publishers, London, 1997.(**) Snorra-Edda. Heimir Pálsson bjó til prentunar. Mál og menning, Reykjavík, 1988

English translations:(**) Brodeur, Arthur Gilchrist (trans.). The Prose Edda, American-Scandinavian Foundation, New York, 1916 Byock, Jesse (trans.). The Prose Edda. Penguin Classics, 2006 Faulkes, Anthony (trans.). Edda. Everyman, 1995

BATTERY AND ACCLAMATION AS A POWERFUL FORCE AND INTERIOR EFFECT ON THE BRETHREN—REGINA MITRA Portuguese Federation


Endowed with an almost magical power and compelling mystical force, the Bat-tery and Acclamation mark the opening and closing of a masonic session, in varying fashion according to the Degree.

The ceremonial space that has been prepared ritualistically and symbolically becomes the place where suddenly everything is transformed, including those who attend the ritual.

One enters the temple as a profane, and in this space everything contributes towards creating life, radiating the harmony that comes from peace and reflection, letting go off profane anxieties and bathing in moments of serenity.

Once the temple has been prepared everything starts to make sense through symbolism, causing an intense positive effect on all the brethern. And then, there is that moment when we cease to be profane to become brethern masons, where the contribution of each one of us converges towards growth and progress.

Usually, it coincides with the Worshipful Master laying down his mallet on the pedestal and inviting all the brethern to strike as in applauding the palms of their hands together in the symbolic form of the “Battery” and cry out the “Acclamation,” driving away the evil fluids, expelling the negative waves and uttering words of ex-treme meaning and value: “Liberty - Equality - Fraternity.” A special moment of con-secration of the temple contributing to the restoration of peace and inner harmony.

Let us go back in time and consider the history, and we shall remember that clapping has an unknown origin, although it has existed for at least 3000 years. There are several theories that see clapping as belonging historically to religious and pagan rituals whose purpose is to draw the attention of the gods.

Man’s need to communicate led him to explore sound resources, and discover possibilities within himself; and the most common human sound he could find was the sound of clapping, which became a social collective gesture used to express ad-miration and approval, channelling an overwhelming enthusiasm and reacting to existence in immediate and primitive way fashion.

In the masonic ritual, the Battery is an applause carried out with full awareness of its importance; an applause that creates an anchor inside each one of us, one that contributes towards an harmonious atmosphere, eliminates negative vibrations that may affect some brethern; an applause that eliminates what still remains of the profane, relieves any tensions and thoughts that may destabilize what should truly be a perfect place of serenity and light.

The posture of the members in the lodge should be standing, striking the palm of the right hand on that of the left. After the clapping, members raise the right hand towards the centre of the temple and utter in strong and firm unison the words Lib-erty, Equality, Fraternity that constitute the Acclamation. The rhythm of the Accla-mation is steady and uniform, breathing out positive energy, projecting praise and approval, modifying the atmosphere and unifying.

Looking inward, with a slight bending forward of the head, in a position of rev-erence, relaxing the respiratory system, allowing the thymus, a point of knowledge


and discernment, to be in balance with the body. The hearing will allow deafness towards the world in the encounter of oneself. The voice tone will promote its inner strength while contracting the abdomen muscles, activating some parts of the in-ner organs. The production of endorphin, a neurotransmitter, will provide a sense of wellbeing and a reduction of stress, controlling the reaction of the body to ten-sion, regulating some functions of the autonomous nervous system and establishing humour and movements of quietness and peace. The respiratory part will be even more activated when uttering the sound, the vibration of the vocal chords activat-ing the hearing and increasing the level of oxygen in the brain.

The esoteric effect is thus shown in a personal form where brethern manifest themselves in a position of equality, giving voice to the Entered-apprentices, who up till then were required to remain totally silent, absorbing step by step all the rit-ualistic movements.

With all members at the order of Entered-Apprentice degree, the wardens put down their mallets on their pedestals and accompany the battery with the brethern of their respective columns. The first Deacon keeps himself at order with his sword, facing the Master of Ceremonies who also stands at order with his baton, together making a vault.

The second Deacon and the Inner Guard hold their swords with their right hand and accompany the ritual in that position, both of them uttering the words Liberty, Equality, Fraternity.

The joining of these three words together constitutes the motto of Masonry. They should not be considered in isolation since each concept is intimately con-nected with the other two that complete the trilogy. In order for each concept to make sense it is necessary to validate the other two.

When we are in the right place at the right time, when we are devoid of selfish desires respect the independence of the other, adopt an open and natural behav-iour, act democratically and wisely, it is possible to understand the true sense of this triad.

Liberty is part of this motto as a gift, a probation, where everyone has the op-tion of assuming responsibilities democratically, establishing criteria and specific rules, with ethical principles, complying with the rules, preserving harmony and using common sense.

Inspired by the philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau, the words Liberty, Equal-ity, Fraternity became the motto of the 1789 French Revolution.

Equality: an essential quality in achieving certain values; the sense of justice; to confront life with dignity; to embrace our differences; to appraise with discipline and orientation.

Fraternity: the key to tolerance, re-educating consciousness, re-positioning tak-ing into account our shortcomings. To open one’s heart and allow space for com-munion; to surrender in tenderness; to be silent in the face of ignorance; to offer light, so that not only is one’s path illuminated, but it will also be seen through the


link of brotherhood. Fraternity means to be able to recognise attitudes and feel-ings; to see the other as he is and feels; to establish empathy and affection. For a dis-tressed heart cannot be brotherly. To be brotherly is not to be charitable! Fraternity is long lasting.

Here lies the value of small things, of concrete gestures, of exchanging ideas, of enjoying the special moment of an agape, of showing the sincere interest for anoth-er’s suffering, of sharing moments of joy, of giving a warm, respectful and cosy fra-ternal hug, but not only in this transitory action, for masonry is not ephemeral.

If at the beginning of the meeting, the battery and the acclamation had the won-derful effect of neutralizing the negative influences that could disturb and destabi-lize the masonic work, at the closure, battery and acclamation will create an atmos-phere of joy when masons leave the sacred space before returning to the profane world with a heart full of Fraternal Light.

R. M.

FRATERNITY, SECULARITY: A REAR-GUARD STRUGGLE?—ROGER BRUNI French Federation


Can Fraternity – an essential and sometimes overused word – be a force of pro-gress for humanity? And in what way does Secularity constitute one of the founding components of Fraternity for the 21st century?

The word Fraternity belongs to the collective unconscious. It is in actual fact a re-minder of the uniqueness of the human animal species descended from a common stock of which the myth of Adam and Eve is the most popular image in monothe-ist cultural traditions. This family tie between all human beings, this blood tie so to speak, pre-dates every other form of mental or intellectual concept, because it stems from nature and the instinct of procreation. The need for the primitive fam-ily group to adapt to environmental constraints scattered the clans from which all humans are descended; and particular geographical conditions produced different ways of surviving and unique cultural expressions. The principle of Fraternity how-ever was universally preserved whether through religious metaphor (Abraham) or genealogy as is the case in aristocratic forms of government or in traditional socie-ties. Fraternity is a reminder that every individual, even the most recluse, is one of the many links in a chain to which all human beings belong. Being a member of such a chain involves duties. Individuals may be asked to assist, defend, and contribute.

In the French republican triad, fraternity is added to liberty and equality for its appeasing and moderating role. With the declaration of independence of the USA and later, of human and citizens’ rights, Liberty and Equality are the foundation of the individual, if not of individualism, because they are first and foremost associated with the rights of the person. Do these rights imply duties? It is the role of the law to provide a framework for these rights, to set boundaries, to delineate their scope and area of application, to define duties. Is observance of the law enough to create society? Are social inequalities detrimental to a democratic use of power? The rev-olutionaries of 1789 and 1793 thought that Virtue alone could remove all obstacles, because it serves the common good that is forever being threatened by individu-al selfishness. By adding Fraternity to the republican motto, the revolutionaries of 1848 highlighted the link between persons and made it clear that for human digni-ty to exist, not only must the individuality of every person be respected and recog-nised, but individual needs must also be taken into account. By focusing on the need to strengthen social links, to provide a framework against selfishness and deline-ate inalienable personal rights, Fraternity establishes responsibility in solidarity. It symbolises social peace – the kind of peace that unites a family around a good meal.

Yet Fraternity cannot be defined as an affection, as a feeling, like comradeship, friendship or love that are born from being with others in particular circumstanc-es. It is not a dogma; it is a political principle that requires all of us to recognise the other as similar and different in order to be able to co-exist in the common social construction – an undertaking that is defined as a process in perpetual motion in its search for harmonious balance and so, ideal. As with every shifting construction, the risk is imbalance, losing ground, falling back.


At the end of the 19th c. and at the beginning of the 20th, French society, strong-ly influenced in this by free-masonry, defined a new political principle directly stem-ming from the political concept of fraternity, i.e. secularity. The fact is there was a very real danger: standardisation of thought. Since we are all brothers, free and equal, should we not have the same thoughts, share the same concepts, the same practic-es, the same beliefs, the same dogmas? And since democracy works according to the law of the greater number, why not impose the belief that is shared by the greatest number; impose fraternity without liberty or equality? In essence, the philosophical debate centred round the individual freedom to choose or refuse a religious or an atheist dogma – one and the other being potentially dangerous since both could con-stitute a political and social basis. By legislating on the separation between church and State, by liberating individual consciences from dogmas, the Republic defined itself as agnostic and set up a principle of a common existence based on the separa-tion between public and private life, on the co-existence of fundamental differences.

So, without putting in jeopardy any religious foundation or practice whatso-ever, without in any way supporting the negation of a divine being and the belief in a purely materialistic universe, secularity preserves fraternity in as much as it is based on recognising and respecting the other. Secularity and Fraternity are com-plementary. Both contribute to the development of social links and through the preservation of essential freedoms of true equality between citizens whatever their gender, cultural practices, religious or philosophical beliefs; both promote an op-portunity for dialogue and exchange.

This opportunity however is not irrevocable. Nothing is ever definite, and in pe-riods of economic crisis conducive to insularity and loss of faith in the future, which encourage people to turn to deceitful images of the past for reassurance, fundamen-talist and totalitarian ideologies often rear their ugly heads by promising, through servitude on Earth, happiness in an afterlife or in a future which no-one can guar-antee will ever happen. To submit, to admit, to abdicate, to exist only with reference to a group, to be quiet and cheer as told, to be shackled without a murmur of protest, to slyly keep watch on one another, to blindly carry out instructions, to participate in state rituals, and not to think, not to evaluate, not to judge – all of which belongs to a not so distant past. Is that what awaits us? Will that not be the final outcome of extreme political opinions, calls for religious war against a backdrop of radical ques-tioning of the liberation of women and the advances that have been made on the road towards equality between all human beings, everywhere in society and in the world?

Fraternity requires humanity because of our common origin and future, and it imposes duties upon us: to watch upon the bright flame of the human spirit, to pro-tect and develop a social covenant based upon solidarity, mutual assistance, recog-nising the value of otherness, the alternation of political opinions; to endeavour to set up a society of human beings that are truly free and equal, who will behave as active, united and responsible citizens of the world. Secularity is essential to frater-nity in as much as it guarantees that every opinion will be scrutinised by others, that


no truth established and accepted as dogma will be imposed on whomsoever, and that freedom of dialogue will be maintained.

Liberty, Equality, Fraternity toppled the social order of the ancient regime and, with the adjoining of secularity, have established the conditions of our common existence. But today to only take one society into account makes little sense. The French Republic represents no more than a small group of humans living in a small space called France. Challenges have become universal, and include e.g. the ecolog-ical, social, food, and sanitary balance. We have reached the end of the Second Mid-dle Ages, caught up in the snare of our trivial existence, with our eyes wide open staring into the unfathomable Cosmos and confronted with the need to find a new basis for Humanism as in the troubled days of the Renaissance.

The old Fraternity also faces a challenge: to achieve on Earth and for all hu-man beings the conditions of happiness and joy. Fraternity is up against all forms of selfishness and vested interests, multi-secular beliefs that have modelled different cultures, but also against the temptation of uniformity, the worldwide consumerist culture, the dogma of King Money – as powerful today as the religious dogmas and political and religious fanaticisms.

If secularity is a crucial tool for establishing a common basis for mutual under-standing and respect in society, it is obvious that today the very idea of a separation between Church and State, of the distinction between public and private space is far from shared by all outside the borders of France. Even if the issue is currently being examined by the Council of Europe, Member States have reacted to it in very different ways. It is often misunderstood in the USA, considered offensive towards divine will in countries where religious orthodoxy is the norm, and of little interest in countries where atheist and materialistic dogmas prevail.

The work that has been undertaken to develop active secularity in all so-called democratic States (but is there anything like a democratic State outside of Anarchy that is based on the conviction that Fraternity alone can guide human action and thought?) is long-term and of crucial importance. It helps people understand those truisms that no society seems to find self-evident: Earth is the village of Humanity; everything depends on each one of us, and each one of us depends on everything; nothing is ours if it is not the fruit of our labour; nothing more can be given to an-yone if others are lacking; the gods have as many faces as there are human beings; and the list of self-evident truths is very long indeed… But the first priority is to set up the dialogue that will establish the conditions of the proclamation of Universal Fraternity. And in this, Fraternity and Secularity are still in the vanguard of the fight.

It is certainly the task of Freemasonry to generate ideas and concepts that will help build a Humanity made up of free and fraternal societies.

Our Order has special responsibility in achieving this ideal.Because it is based on the concept of equality between all human beings, men

and women alike, it remains revolutionary and opposes a clear denial to any dog-ma or belief that denigrates and belittles other human beings both men and women.


Because it is international, it is multi-cultural and strives to set up a society based on humanistic values, respectful of identities, using reason as a tool for liber-ation, and aware of the distinction between equality and uniformity.

Because it is masonic and therefore also humanistic.Because its members think of themselves as Brothers and Sisters, our Order is

aware of the united nature of Humanity and multiplicity of individuals, of the es-sential role of solidarity and mutual assistance, of the precarious nature of every human achievement, of the need to cherish a high ideal.

Because of all this, our lodges in France and in fifty other countries are work-ing and cooperating towards giving substance to free and fraternal secular thought that will enable the Men and Women of tomorrow achieve the joy of living together.

R. B.

Documents

Le Droit Humain 47