Twice in 24 Hours: The Lodge Education Series

by Midnight Freemason Emeritus Contributor

R.H. Johnson

Prepared for Waukegan Masonic Lodge No. 78 May 15th, 2023

*Note* – This education piece is a little different, as it’s edited to be fit for the profane. The topic is related to the penalties of breaking a Masonic obligation. Within the Jurisdiction of Illinois, there are secrets and the penalties of your obligation are considered to be among them. To this end, the article is slightly altered as to avoid any…imperial entanglements. 

 

The Masonic penalties within Freemasonry are largely considered to be of a secret nature—not to be discussed outside the walls of our fraternity. What I would like to mention, however, is an element of one of those penalties in a way that is acceptable. 

 

Within the Entered Apprentice degree, as in all degrees in Freemasonry, we take an obligation and make certain promises. There is, of course, a penalty for breaking this promise. In the first degree, there is an allusion to a place where the tide ebbs and flows twice in 24 hours. This is an ancient ritual that dates back to "time immemorial." This ritual is used to symbolize the consequences of breaking one of the most sacred of Masonic oaths—the vow of secrecy. 

 

In this penalty, an item is buried in a spot that is affected by the ebb and flow of the tide. This spot must be one where the tide ebbs and flows twice within a 24-hour period. 

 

Curiously this happens nowhere on Earth but in one place. 

 

This ritual is meant to serve as a reminder to all Masons of the importance of keeping their oaths and of the consequences of breaking them. 

 

The symbolism of this ritual is quite powerful and meaningful. The ebb and flow of the tide is a metaphor for the passage of time and the effects of breaking the oath. As the tide ebbs and flows, the sand gradually covers and uncovers, symbolizing the gradual fading of the vow of secrecy. The fact that the tide ebbs and flows twice in 24 hours serves as a reminder that the consequences of breaking the oath will remain forever, even if the person is no longer a Mason. 

 

It could even be considered a ceremonious repeated washing as a sign of mistrust. 

 

It is a tangible reminder of the commitment that is made to uphold the ideals of the fraternity and to protect the secrets of the Masonic order.

 

So where does this ebb and flow happen twice in 24 hours?

 

The Dead Sea is a unique location on Earth, as it is the only place in the world where the tide ebbs and flows twice in 24 hours. Located between Jordan and the West Bank of Israel, the Dead Sea is an inland saltwater lake that is renowned for its high salinity and its healing properties. Its unique characteristics make it a popular destination for tourists and travelers from all over the world. 

 

The Dead Sea has an impressive depth of over 1,200 feet, and its shore is the lowest point on the Earth's surface. Its unique combination of high salinity and minerals, as well as its location in the protective basin of the Jordan Valley, make it one of the most saline bodies of water on the planet. 

 

This high salinity contributes to the phenomenon of the twice-daily tidal flux. The twice-daily tidal flux is caused by the gravitational pull of the sun and moon and the effect of the Mediterranean Sea. The Mediterranean Sea causes a powerful current to flow from the south to the north, which creates a swell that causes the tide to rise and fall twice in 24 hours. This phenomenon is unique to the Dead Sea, as all other bodies of water experience only one high and low tide in a day.

~RHJ

RWB Johnson is an Emeritus Managing Editor of the Midnight Freemasons blog. He is a Freemason out of the 2nd N.E. District of Illinois. He currently serves as the Secretary of Spes Novum Lodge No. 1183. He is a Past Master of Waukegan Lodge 78 and a Past District Deputy Grand Master for the 1st N.E. District of Illinois. He is the current V:. Sovereign Grand Inspector for AMD in IL. Brother Johnson currently produces and hosts weekly Podcasts (internet radio programs) Whence Came You? & Masonic Radio Theatre which focuses on topics relating to Freemasonry. He is also a co-host of The Masonic Roundtable, a Masonic talk show. He is a husband and father of four and works full-time in the executive medical industry. He is the co-author of "It's Business Time - Adapting a Corporate Path for Freemasonry", “The Master’s Word: A Short Treatise on the Word, the Light, and the Self – Annotated Edition” and author of "How to Charter a Lodge: A No-Nonsense, Unsanctioned Guide. More books are on the way.

 

The Occult Lodge: Part Three

The Elu Kohen

by Midnight Freemason Contributor 

Bro. James E. Frey 32° KT, ROS

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

Part Four

Part Five

Martinez de Pascually

As the high degrees developed, one of the first occult orders to develop out of Masonry was the illustrious and secretive Orde Chevelier Macons Elus Cohen de L’Univers or Order of Knight-Masons Elect Priests of the Universe, more commonly referred to as the Elus Cohen. The Elus Cohen is one of the most serious and prominent of occult societies, given its deeply rooted occult practices as being the active role in the redemption of humanity from its fallen state. Usually reserved for Gnostic Clergy, the Elus Cohen is the inner order for most Martinist streams and teaches advanced forms of ceremonial magic. Martinez de Pascually was the founder the Elus Cohen.and was born in Grenoble, France in 1709. His father had received a Masonic patent from Charles Stuart “King of Scotland, Ireland and England, dated 20th May 1738 and granting him as "Deputy Grand Master the power to erect temples to the glory of the Grand Architect”. This gave him powers as a Deputy Grand Master with the power to establish lodges, and this power was transferred to his son upon his death.

At the age of 28, Martinez was a Master Mason and upon his Father’s death he received this charter and thus formed the Elus Cohen in 1765. This Order admitted only Freemasons, but practiced mystical medieval rites involving angels and archangels. These heavily esoteric initiations echoed a Catholic form of ritual and prayer, as well as a use of the psalms as mantra meditations. “The higher degrees of the Order taught such practices as the invocation of various spirits, such as the ‘Shem ha-Mephorash’ (שם המפורש ) of the Qabalah, the so-called “divided Name” as derived from Exodus XIV:19-21, celebration of the Equinoxes, and similar highly ritualistic and time-consuming forms of ritual work.” (Kevin Davis, Brothers From Another Mother).

Martinez vision was a working of a great spiritualized movement within the higher ranks of Freemasonry. Martinez formed his spiritual group during the period of the creation of the High Degrees which were being introduced into Freemasonry. Due to the often found resentment of the of the High Degrees by Masonic Authorities Martinez chose to create a “side” organization which would have a more spiritual character than Freemasonry traditionally had. To this organization however, he would only admit Master Masons who had taken the additional Masonic degree of “Elect”. The Order of Élus Cohen was rumored to have nine, ten or eleven degrees divided into three main classes, followed by a secret grade. Each class of degrees correlated to different aspects of Solomon’s Temple.

Elu Cohen Apron

The first class contained the traditional Degrees of Symbolic Masonry plus an additional degree of Grand Elect or Particular Master. The second class contained the Porch Degrees of Apprentice-Cohen, Fellow-Cohen and Master-Cohen. The third class contained the Temple Degrees of Grand Master Élus Cohen, Knight of the East and Commander of the East. The secret doctrine of the Order was based mostly on Martinez’ only book, The Reintegration of Beings, which is a mystical reinterpretation of the Pentateuch. Martinez commentary focused on the purifying diet of the Levites and the importance of the exorcism of planetary energies to rise above the evil found in the individual and collectively in the world.

The secret grade of the Order contained the degree of Réau-Croix, a title inspired by both Masonic and Rosicrucian circles at the time. In this Degree of Réau-Croix, the Initiate is exposed to the spiritual realms through Magical Invocation or Theurgy. The Candidate is taught to draw the Celestial powers into his spiritual aura, by doing so into the earth’s aura as well. The Candidate is taught to interpret certain signs as perceived through auditory and visual manifestations, which the candidate uses to evaluate his own spiritual re-integration into the spirit.

The purpose of the Réau-Croix degree was to perceive the Beatific Vision of the Repairer, Jesus Christ, in response to Magical Evocations in order to repair one’s own fallen state and act as an active participant in the redemption of all humanity to repair the first sin of Adam. Martinez perceived God to be primordial Unity that emanated beings from his own nature. Until Lucifer, who wanted to exercise his own creative power, fell victim to his own faults, which caused Lucifer and his followers to be forever separated from the spirit trapped in the material. To resolve this, God sent man endowed with a state of perfection to work towards the reconciliation of Lucifer. Adam then fell himself and became trapped in the material realm as a physical and mortal being. So it is the spiritual destiny of Mankind to save both himself and the original creation which can be accomplished through the inner perfection with the help of Christ, the eternal repairer.

Through the rites of the Elus Cohen, the initiate is to enter into relations with angelic entities, which are sympathetic to Man’s fallen state, who aid him upon the path to reintegrate his spirit away from the material plane into unity of the spirit. After Pasqually’s death in 1774 the teachings of the Elu Cohen were most certainly doomed to fade into the mists of history. But a fellow by the name of Willermoz desired to preserve the Elus Cohen teachings within the highest degrees of the Régime Ecossais Rectifi (Scottish Rectified Rite), more commonly known as the Chevaliers Bienfaisant de la Cité Sainte (C.B.C.S.) was founded by Willermoz in 1774.

~JEF

James E Frey 32° classifies himself as a gentleman of the old world, which means he is known to stand in the great forests reciting poetry to fair-haired damsels while wrestling bears for sport. He is a District Education Officer for the Grand Lodge of Illinois, a Past Sovereign Prince of the of Danville AASR, member of the Oak Lawn York Rite, Medinah Shriners, Royal Order of Scotland, Quram Council Allied Masonic Degrees and initiate of the Golden Dawn Collegium Spiritu Sancti. He is also a guest lecturer on Occultism and Esoteric studies in masonry for the R.E.B.I.S Research Society.

The Occult Lodge: Part Two

 From Operative to Occult

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

Bro. James E. Frey 32° KT, ROS 

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

Part Four

Part Five

In the recent climate of the literary outbreak of novels based on the speculation of Masonry, modern culture has begun to accept the doubtful notion that Masonry is the descendent of the Medieval Knights Templar, or that it is the barren of some shadowy conspiracy bent toward world domination. But this is only a modem interpretation of a climate of speculation Masons of the 1800s concocted in order to give the Masonic system a romanticized history. But it should be noted that overzealous Masons creating a myth that the craft is traced to ancient origins was a common trend among fraternal groups of the era. It was thought that an elaborate myth of historical connections gave the fraternal group legitimacy.

But in the late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries there was a common theme among Masonic scholars creating a legacy, connecting the craft to a variety of occult groups such as the Rosicrucians, the Essenes, Ancient Egypt, and a variety of other spiritual systems. This was because many of the first members that transformed the Craft from an operative guild into a speculative craft were intellectuals of the Royal Society. These intellectuals were under the influence of classical philosophy, which often incorporated the mystical teachings of the medieval ages. This gave many who were interested in occultism through the age of 18th and 19th centuries the vessel they needed to explore subjective symbolism and determine their own spiritual truths. 

Because Masonry became an organization accepting many mystical brethren, the occult minded brethren of the time adopted aspects of Masonry into the developing "magical" lodges. Primarily they adopted the lodge structure finding its organization as both a degree based learning system and a democratic formation as ample for developing a harmonious and productive organization. But as speculative masonry sought to define itself in its early decades of development through its progression of High Degrees, so the occult lodges defined itself through these High degrees having discrete and secretive groups in which to practice their spiritual paths.

~JEF

James E Frey 32° classifies himself as a gentleman of the old world, which means he is known to stand in the great forests reciting poetry to fair-haired damsels while wrestling bears for sport. He is a District Education Officer for the Grand Lodge of Illinois, a Past Sovereign Prince of the of Danville AASR, member of the Oak Lawn York Rite, Medinah Shriners, Royal Order of Scotland, Quram Council Allied Masonic Degrees and initiate of the Golden Dawn Collegium Spiritu Sancti. He is also a guest lecturer on Occultism and Esoteric studies in masonry for the R.E.B.I.S Research Society.

The Real Secrets of Freemasonry

by Midnight Freemason Guest Contributor

Matthew Taheri

I imagine that it would be no shock to you if I were to say that a significant percentage of the profane population believes that we do, or at one point, have ruled the world. It has been suggested by those with no Masonic affiliation that we keep and hold vast secret knowledge required to rule and govern the blind populous of the nation.

As much as it pains me to tell you, I’m not sitting in my palatial estate, watching my loyal scribe dictate these notes. We do not rule the world. Quite frankly, I don’t even rule my household, my newborn does. This, however, does not mean there are no powerful secrets kept among the Brethren in Freemasonry.

In a previous article, I’ve spoken to the intent behind our secrecy. I’ve discussed my belief that we, in part, keep secrets in order to teach codified lessons in a particular format. I’ve also acknowledged that some secrets are kept as to modes of recognition, that we may know a Freemason when we come across one. But beyond this, I still feel that there are ever more critical secrets that we keep, that make us who we are not just as Masons, but as Brothers.

I ask you, what are the secrets of Freemasonry?

Recently in an online discussion amongst Brethren, I had an opportunity to show off my fancy new Square and Compasses decal on my Jeep. I remarked as to how comforting it was being able to upload a picture of the entire rear end of the Jeep without blurring out my license plate. Similarly, I know I could post a picture of my newborn without subjecting her to lewdness.

In this increasingly profane world, the confidence kept amongst Brethren has never been more critical--more valuable. This confidence is the real wage we are paid for our labors.

My Brothers have learned and will continue to learn my greatest strengths and my greatest weaknesses because I feel able to be open and honest with them. I have no feat of mistreatment. I could never be so genuine with a group of individuals who might monetize or utilize these faults for their purposes. We are obligated to both give and receive wise counsel. Still, without the ability to present ourselves as we are, facilitated by secrecy amongst ourselves, we would never have the opportunity to do so.

One last example: I know of a Brother who’s Boss is a member of the Lodge. Imagine the turmoil this could impose if you couldn’t depend on secrecy; if you had to fear revelation! If my Boss petitions the Lodge, and I know him to be unsound, I feel safe in presenting a disfavorable recommendation. I also know that I can speak to my faults amongst my Brethren without having to hear about them over coffee at the office the following morning. Where else on this Earth could you behave similarly?

This secrecy breeds trust and understanding. You know me better for my comfort. I know that if I can trust you with my insecurities, I can trust you with my belongings. Outside of this Lodge room, you can find my laptop, my wallet, and my car keys. I wouldn’t leave those unattended in just any place.

All of this is to illustrate a straightforward fact: The greatest secrets we keep aren’t the ones we withhold from the world; they are the ones we hold for one another.

~MT

Brother Matthew Taheri was Raised in Paumanok (pronounced Paw-mih-knock) Port Washington Lodge No. 855 in Port Washington, New York. He has since relocated to Hillsborough No. 25 in beautiful Tampa, Florida where he enjoys spending time with his Brethren, tiki culture, laying out on the beach, and visiting Walt Disney World with disturbing frequency. Brother Taheri feels that familial edification is what differentiates Freemasonry from other very respectable organizations.

The 33 Degrees of Freemasonry

by Midnight Freemason Guest Contributor

Bro. James A. Simpson

Edited and transcribed for the Midnight Freemasons by Bro. Michael Arce

There are 33 degrees in the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite. Is 33 a mystical number with some inherent numerical meaning?

Author's note: This is the research work of Bro. James A. Simpson and Ven. John F. McLaughlin. It was the first in a series of Masonic research papers submitted by Bro. Simpson. I have his expressed permission to share this work. "I know you will enjoy the history." Signed, Bro. Jim Simpson. The great Shakespearean actor and Mason, Edwin Booth (1833093) reportedly once said of the Masonic Ritual: "In all my research and study, in all my close analysis of the masterpieces of Shakespeare; in my earnest determination to make those plays a appear real on the mimic stage, I have never, and nowhere met the tragedy so real, so sublime, so magnificent as the Legend of Hiram. It is substance without shadow --- the manifest destiny of life which requires no picture and scarcely a word to make a lasting impression upon all who can understand.

Degree Origination

Our degrees began in France in the year 1725. The new class of scholarly men (Speculative Masons) had discovered written legends from the old Operative Masons. They were also aware of the early history of the Jews given in the Bible. It is from these histories the Hiramic Legend evolved. The early high degrees were a continuation of the Hiramic Legend. This occurred during the Age of Enlightenment when there was a growing interest in the in all mystical and occult doctrines. The mystical parts of many of the high degrees were influenced by the knowledge of Rosicrucianism and even the mystical parts of the Book of Revelation.

Important practical lessons are being taught through the observance of rituals. Participation in rituals in unifying and gives a greater sense of belonging. A mutual belief in a Supreme Power should bind all initiates together in Brotherhood. We must learn to work for work's sake without desire of praise or reward. There are philosophical ideas shown allegorically through the master architect's tools. They teach us to be faithful to our family and country. They teach universal Brotherhood; honesty in business relations; the forgiveness of past injustices; and perseverance in overcoming the difficulties encountered in our progress toward perfection. These degrees are rich in benefits

Scottish Rite Degrees and Chakras

Several years before I was raised, I purchased a book entitled "Hands of Light" by Barbara Brennan. She is a practicing healer, psychotherapist, and scientist. She was a research scientist in atmospheric physics from NASA. She was trained in bioenergetic therapy and is currently teaching courses concerning the human energy field.

There are seven endocrine glands. Each gland has a chakra, which is a cone-shaped energy field that absorbs energy from the universal energy field. As a practitioner, Ms. Brennan will locate unhealthy chakra. The result of her healing will be physical, emotional, and spiritual. Although this healing is not a religion, the charkas are a western interpretation of Hinduism. Western practices have associated chakras with various concepts.

I.E., metaphysical counterparts to the endocrine glands; chakras reside in the psyche; chakras have a physical manifestation. These various beliefs have been speculative. The book "Dark Light Consciousness" has taken the speculative out of the chakras and brought them into the operative world of science.

The following points are from Ms. Brennan's book.

•Chakra #1: The coccygeal center is related to the quantity of physical energy and will live in the physical reality.

•Chakra #2: The gonads is related to the quality of love for your mate.

•Chakra #3: The solar plexus relates to spiritual wisdom and consciousness of universality of life.

•Chakra #4: The thymus is the center through which we love ourselves, our families, pets, friends, neighbors, and our countrymen.

•Chakra #5: The thyroid is associated with taking responsibility for one's personal needs.

•Chakra #6: The pituitary is associated with the capacity to visualize and understand mental concepts.

•Chakra #7: The pineal, the "Crown Chakra." The pineal gland is related to the person's connection to his spirituality and integration of his whole being, physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual.

Spritual energy and Freemasonry

The Knights Templar were in the Holy Land beginning in the year 1118. Hughes de Payens, the Master of the Order, although a Christian, was a descendant of Muhammed. It was through this connection that the Templars allied themselves with Islam. The Templars' principal teachers of alchemy were the enlightened Sufis. The Sufis had gathered the rarest and most valuable alchemical texts of the Egyptians, Persians, and Indians. The Sufi's also acquired texts from India regarding the mystical form of spiritual enlightenment.

The human spine contains 33 vertebrae. Spirit regeneration would take place by degrees trough the 33 vertebrae of the spinal column until reaching the pituitary gland which invokes the pineal body. The science of this regeneration is one of the lost keys of Freemasonry, and it is this reason why ancient Freemasonry was founded upon thirty-three degrees. Manley P. Hall, a 33 Degree Mason and Masonry's greatest philosopher, states, "The 33rd Degree represents the human head atop the 33 vertebrae of the back."

From the base of the spine there is the serpent which will wind its way up the spine to the crown chakra. The Sufis knew this as the Baraka; the Jews called it the Shekinah; the Chinese Taoist called it Jing; in India, it was the Kundalini. To awaken the power of the Kundalini, it would take spiritual discipline, including alchemy and yoga. As the Kundalini rises through the physical, emotional, and mental bodies, it performs the task of destroying all the impurities that prevent him from knowing his innate divinity.

With the conquest of Spain by Islam (711-1492), Spain became the seat of Sufi learning in Europe. Beginning with Compostela, Span, there are five cathedrals, one church, and one chapel. The sequence of the sites corresponds to that of the planets in our solar system. Each site also corresponds to a chakra. Just as subliminal energies stream up and down through the chakras within the human body, so similar forces surge northwards and southwards along the great alignment of the cathedrals.

When the novice had progressed thus far along his chosen spiritual path, he was open to receive the messenger of the mystery cults. The novice would make a pilgrimage to St. James of Compostela. The first-degree initiation was the result that flowed spiritually from the awakening of the base chakra that connects us with the earth and physical reality. Its ruling planet --- the Moon.

The initiate would then make a pilgrimage to the church in Toulouse. He would be introduced to the mysteries of the second degree with the opening of the abdominal chakra. Her he would discover his inner space and could retire into the isolation of his spirit. Its ruling planet --- Mercury.

The novice was the symbol of the third or solar plexus chakra. The fulfillment of this degree led to the awakening of the universal life force. This degree was achieved by the entry into the mysteries of the Venus oracle at the Cathedral of Orleans.

The novice is now ready to awaken the heart chakra which is linked to the region of the thymus gland above the heart. This is the spiritual center controlling the sublime gifts of love. This initiation was held in the Crypt of Chargers Cathedral, the ancient site of the sun oracle.

Induction into the fifth degree was performed in the chamber under Notre-Dame de Paris, the site of the druidic oracle of Mars. The fifth center is the throat chakra and is the first of the higher ones. It is the center of both speech and inner hearing and is connected with the power of sound.

The brow chakra, known to many as the third eye, is connected with the pituitary gland. Clairvoyance is connected with this centre, which relates to the spiritual faculties of insight and intuition. This took place in the cathedral of Amiens, and the aspirant would be instructed in the mysteries of the Jupiter oracle.

The seventh degree was attained with the culmination of the spiritual journey a the opening of the crown chakra, which is mystically united with the pineal gland; also known as the Seat of the Soul. This was awarded at the seventh site, Rosslyn Chapel, the ancient and revered site of the Saturn oracle. The initiation ceremony for this degree took place in the hidden chamber under the chapel, which was deliberately created by Earl William St. Clair. The Sinclairs were experts in sacred geometry and geomancy, sciences that teach how to design physical structures so that they harmonize, capture, and amplify the natural currents of energy that flow under and upon the surface of the earth. William Sinclair based the chapel's dimensions on the Golden Mean, the proportion that determines the geometric spiral, which is synonymous with the path of serpentine life force.

Rosslyn Chapel was situated upon the confluence of important ley lines that united it with sacred landmarks throughout Britain. One of its intersecting leys comes from the direction of the bore stane hill where five powerful ley-lines radiate. In 1994, Niven Sinclair invited Professor Lin Yun, a master of Feng Shui, to measure the flow of the "earth energy" within Rosslyn Chapel. Professor Yun was impressed with this energy and maintained that the chapel was destined to be a center of world peace.
The seven spiritual centers along with their respective planets were in total alignment on July 28, 2019. The authors did not make any predictions for alignment.

~JAS

Bro. Jim Simpson Schenectady Lodge #1174, Schenectady, New York Sigman Bodies Ancient Accept Scottish Rite, Scotia, New York St. George's Chapter #157, Schenectady, New York St. George's Council #74, Schenectady, New York St. George's Commandry #37, Schenectady, New York Charles H. Copestake #69 AMD, Schenectady, New York

The Need For More Apprentices To Carry Masonic Knowledge

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

Bro. Michael Arce

We are letting our history pass without hearing it

In February I was invited to speak at Schenectady Lodge #1174 in Schenectady, New York. Afterward, I was approached by Bro. James (Jim) Simpson, who shared his interest on the topic of my presentation: The Point Within A Circle. Jim caught my attention in that he's an older member, the kind of Brother who leaves you with the impression that he has in-depth knowledge of the craft, its symbols, and history. We exchanged contact information. It was early March when I opened the package of his first paper, "The Thirty Three Degrees of Freemasonry."

What first caught my eye was that all 12 pages, including the title page and bibliography, were handwritten. For a kid who grew up in the 1980s who wrote to pen-pals, I can't remember the last time I opened a piece of mail in the past five years that was handwritten. I read on.

"There are 33 such degrees in the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite. Is 33 a mystic number some inherent numerical meaning?"

I was hooked. I read the entire paper that afternoon when I came home after work. Bro. Jim also included photocopies of his supporting documentation to source his research. As a graduate studies student, I felt like I was reading college-level work.

In April, two more handwritten papers arrived in the mail.

At the end of June, I received another familiar package which included the note, "Bro. Michael, attached is my latest presentation. I know you will find this interesting, Bro. Jim." He had sent me the "Lost Secrets of the Sacred Ark." I read it before dinner. I pictured every Sunday school lesson from my childhood while reading his work. That night before bed, I put a reminder in my phone to call Bro. Jim the next morning, I wanted to know his story.

The morning I called Bro. Jim at home, I had two questions for him. The first, I wanted to seek his permission to share the text of his work on The Midnight Freemasons site. He gave me an enthusiastic "YES!" I intended to do just that today, but his answer to my second question made it difficult to summarize the one-hour discussion we shared in one paragraph. My second question was, "Why did you join Masonry so late in life?"

Bro. James Simpson is "almost" 80-years old. When he took my call just before the Independence Day weekend, he shared that he's "taking a hiatus this summer because my mind is getting tired." Due to the detail of his papers, I imagine that he must be one of those Brothers that has a personal Masonic library that has taken over a room of his house. "I even have my photocopy machine," he included after laughing at my suggestion. He's retired and lives with his wife, who he lovingly cares for. He had to cut our first call a little short that morning because he heard that his wife was awake, he wanted to check on her and needed to go take care of errands that morning.

Meanwhile, I went back to re-reading the papers that he sent me. I started highlighting parts that perhaps I could inquire about in our follow up call. The detail of his work, it was impressive. I was also amazed by his writing style or voice -- he wrote like how he spoke, clear and plain. He was able to take ancient biblical history or the esoteric ideas of chakras and explain them to the uninformed. I was surprised to learn that Bro. Jim barely made it out of high school. Our second call that afternoon, picked up with his answer to my question on why he joined the Fraternity later in life.

"I'm originally from Boston, knew nothing about Masonry. I grew up in a poor family. Everywhere I went I saw Masonic rings. I was 21 the day I saw the temple in Boston, It fascinated me. I asked a guy wearing a Masonic ring who was drinking a cup of coffee about the building. I wanted to know about the Masons. He walked away and said, "Its a secret." I started tending bar professionally a few months later, and the years passed. Years later, I met a Mason when I was working for the State of New York, and that's how I joined. I wish I would have joined earlier," Bro. Jim explained. He was raised in 2007. Masonically, he was only a handful of years older than me. That got another laugh.

What surprised me was that he started writing about five years ago. After he was raised, he started reading and didn't stop. He had so many ideas that he wanted to share his knowledge. This started with "scribbled paragraphs that I would read in my Blue Lodge," he said. And how were his ideas received? He was thanked with not much discussion. "That was pretty much the end of it. There's no discussion because the speaker is the only one who has done the reading on the subject. But, others will come to you and thank you for sharing the matter. (Just as he did with me) Don't be discouraged! All of the Brothers I have known are interested in becoming more adept in the craft as it relates to their position in the Lodge." He wasn't the first, nor sadly the last, to learn that some of Freemasonry's esoteric thoughts and ancient history some times fail to connect with the Brothers.

In my case, learning ritual is what caused me to seek that additional Light that was promised to me. My moment came when I was reading the Historical Lecture in the first degree, and wanted to learn more about The Point Within A Circle. Little did I know, I had just landed one of the many Masonic Jackpots of knowledge. I spent lunch breaks watching YouTube videos, started looking for texts on the subject, and began asking other Brothers for their ideas. Now I have a shelf on my bookcase filled with resources on the topic. "I wish I were a lot younger. I would have read up on the ritual," Bro. Jim said. There was also a tone of regret in his voice. "I wish I spent more focus on learning ritual. I'm almost 80 years old, so I had to divide my time on learning from books."

I will be converting Bro. Simpson's papers to text, my hope is to share them with you as I receive them. He is one of many of our craft's hidden gems. It is important to me that the library of history in his mind, the handwritten papers that he freely shares with any interested Brother, that knowledge continues to be accessed. I understand, not all Masons seek the additional Light that was promised to us in the degree ritual --- but we should. We all began as Entered Apprentices with a desire to know and learn. We need to secure for future generations those "scribbles" that can spark great ideas or thoughts for an entire Craft.

~ M

Brother Michael Arce is a member of Mt. Zion #311, Troy, New York. When not in Lodge, Bro. Arce is the Marketing Manager for Capital Cardiology Associates in Albany, New York. He enjoys meeting new Brothers and hearing how the Craft has enriched their lives. He can be reached at michael.arce@me.com

Masonic Secrets

by Midnight Freemason Guest Contributor

RW Patrick D. Cholka

Like many of you, I follow a number of Masonic websites, blogs, podcasts, Facebook pages and other sources that help me to think about the various aspects of Freemasonry. My list of bookmarked sources is quite extensive.

On one of these sources, there are a number of Brethren that are quite concerned about sharing Masonic “secrets”. Recently, a relatively new Brother simply asked what the duties of a Junior Steward are. A simple question and I suspect the Brother that asked the question was recently appointed to the position. A few other Brothers were quick to “whisper good council” in this Brother ear and advised him that to answer his question would be to reveal some of the secrets of Masonry that he promised to conceal and never reveal. The original question was soon after removed.

This confused me.

In the booklets associated with the Wisconsin Program, where the Grand Lodge of Wisconsin’s candidate education and examination information is communicated, we are clearly told that of the information contained in those booklets, the only information we are required to keep secret are the modes of recognition and the duties of the Lodge officers are covered to some extent in those booklets. In addition, in our ceremonies for the installation of officers the duties of all the officers are carefully explained. Seeing that the installation of officers is one of a very few of our ceremonies that can be performed in the presence of Masons and non-Masons alike it doesn’t seem like something we are trying to keep secret. Now, while I understand that there is some variation in this regard between Grand Jurisdictions I have to believe the viewpoints are relatively similar.

Before I continue, let me back up fifteen years as of this April. My interest is developing my understanding of Freemasonry goes back to just a few weeks after I was raised. I had not met the first men who eventually became my first mentors in Freemasonry until the day of my Master’s board. The fact that they knew parts of my family for decades before I met them helped to hasten the development of the connection we had. Anyway, just a few weeks after I was raised one of them saw me rifling through the library at the Lodge and asked if he could help me find what I was looking for. When I explained that I didn’t know what I was looking for he asked if he could make a suggestion and a few weeks later he brought in a book titled “Old Tiler’s Talks” by Carl Claudy.

Anyway, on the discussion about secrets I was immediately reminded of one of the Old Tiler’s Talks that addressed that very topic. In this particular edition, a younger Mason is concerned that one of his Brothers is violating his obligations by taking the slides from the picture lecture home where his children can see them and suggested that someone speak to this Brother about it. The “old tiler” explained to the newer Mason that the secrets of Freemasonry cannot be found on the slides associated with our lectures for if they were, the person that created them, or commissioned them to be created, would be in violation of his obligation.

This got me to thinking: what are the secrets of Freemasonry that we are always so quick to defend?

Freemasonry’s long-standing commitment to secrecy has caused more controversy, both within and without the fraternity, than any other Masonic topic. It is the source of many rumors, suspicions and mistrust. Our commitment to secrecy has both helped and hurt the organization greatly.

In many ways, we are proud of the aurora of secrecy that surrounds the fraternity and what we do, and, in some ways, we encourage it. Some of us like being called a “secret society” or even a “society with secrets” as it promotes the idea that we know something the rest of the world does not.

When we examine this, we begin to understand the nature of Masonic secrecy; how the craft perceives its relationship to the general public. Even the emblems we use in our rituals and the symbols we wear on our clothes and paste to our cars helps to cement this relationship. We want the general public to see these emblems and ask questions about them only to receive a vague explanation in return. Yet, we encourage them to continue to ask questions.

Our desire for secrecy has long gone misunderstood and misinterpreted. As Masons, we don’t reply to the criticisms from the public, and in hearing no reply, our silence is often misinterpreted as confirmation of their suspicions.

Freemasonry generally doesn’t concern itself with its nay-sayers and critics, and I will not suggest we begin facing our detractors head-on. However, the public’s suspicion of Freemasonry is probably due more to our lack of seeking recognition for the good we accomplish than to the thought that we are purposely conspiring. People tend to distrust what they don’t understand. When any group is not public with their efforts, the opportunities to understand what they do are greatly reduced. There are countless reports of the good things that Freemasons and Freemasonry has accomplished by well-respected Masons and non-Masons alike. But it is the negative, real or perceived, that draws the public’s eye and keeps their attention.

There are a number of sources we can point the skeptic to that would clear up a lot of misunderstandings, but as these sources require a general understanding of Freemasonry to interpret, they just tend to strengthen the mistrust. One must have an understanding of Freemasonry in order to understand the context and must understand the context to be able to understand something written about it. You can read a book on nuclear fusion but you have to have an understanding of the topic before you can understand the book. This is the very essence of an allegory: an allegory does not provide answers. The allegory of our ritual communicates our symbols and points us in the right direction. The understanding of them is left to the individual Mason, to his interpretation. When a non-Mason tries to understand the allegory of our ritual without the context he can do no more than read the words on the page and interpret what he is reading.

Once the Mason begins to interpret the allegories of Freemasonry, he may conclude that the lessons his attention is drawn to is intended to either divide or to unite. That Freemasonry’s secret passwords and signs are intended to exclude those that have NOT chosen to understand its beauties or to welcome those that have. He may believe his committed to keep secrets that he may not understand and lose sight of the lessons of our allegories. Or he may understand that the secret modes of recognition and the allegories of our ritual are symbols that illustrate the moral lessons of the fraternity. It may help him to understand that, though parts of the ritual are considered secret, the lessons that lie at the root of them should be revealed, rather than concealed.

Each of us are charged to guard the secrets of Freemasonry but we must consider what can be, or is hoped to be, shared. Guarding those things that are not secrets as though they are promotes intolerance and exclusiveness and contradicts the benevolent spirt of Freemasonry that takes root as the fraternity’s foundation. Some Masons are satisfied with what they see on the surface and do not seek to understand the meanings behind it and the beautiful system of Freemasonry which was carefully constructed to bring people together often keeps them apart.

Consider this: if Freemasonry provides a Mason with the tools to make himself better, and if one of the requirements to become a Mason is to be a good man prior to petitioning a Lodge. Where did that foundation of being a good man come from if not from Freemasonry? It stands to reason that before petitioning a Lodge we were able to tell the difference between right and wrong and had been familiar with many of the principles Freemasonry holds dear: perhaps the principle of equality or even the cardinal virtues of temperance, fortitude, prudence and justice. The principles, tenets and maxims the fraternity holds dear are not exclusive or unique to the Freemasonry and we must have possessed them in our hearts long before petitioning a Lodge. What is unique to Freemasonry is how we reinforce them.

The secrets of Freemasonry then, cannot be the duties of the Junior Steward. Neither can the secrets be that we hold ourselves to a higher moral standard; that we practice the tenets of Brotherly love, relief and truth nor the meanings we have assigned to the ordinary working tools of the ancient operative mason. As Freemasonry expects each of us to continually apply the lessons reinforced in it to our lives, then if we are successful the rest of the world would know as much about the nature of the Fraternity as anyone by our own actions. You can generally tell a Mason by his character.

~PDC

RWB. Patrick D. Cholka was Raised April 3, 2004 in Henry L. Palmer #301, where he is a Past Master, under the Grand Lodge of Wisconsin. He also served as the Worshipful Master of Wauwatosa #267. He has also served as a District Deputy Grand Master, Grand Lodge of Wisconsin
Past Grand Orator and Past Chairman of the Masonic Committee on Education,  and is a 32nd Degree, AASR Valley of Milwaukee and Past Thrice Potent Master.

When the Unenlightened Approach

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

RWB Robert H. Johnson

There are many times I am talking about Freemasonry in my day to day life. I'm sure you're no different. We're brothers, and we like to discuss the craft, but what happens when someone comes near and isn't a Freemason?

Let's look at a potential scenario: You're at the office, you're talking to a couple of co-workers who are also brothers of the fraternity. One of the brothers starts talking about some sensitive topics and he can't see the approach of someone who isn't a member (a profane) from behind. You panic, what can you tell them so they silence their speech? Or change it up?

A review of an entry in Mackey's Encyclopedia gives us the answer. "R" for "Rains". Apparently, if this happens, you should simply say, "It rains." and that's all the warning anyone needs.

Rains:

It was a custom among the English Freemasons of the middle of the eighteenth century, when conversing together on Freemasonry, to announce the appearance of a profane by the warning expression It rains. The custom was adopted by the German and French Freemasons, with the equivalent expression, Es regnet and II pluie. Baron Tschoudy, who condemns the usage, says that the latter refined upon it by designating the approach of a female by II neige, the French for It snows. Doctor Oliver says (Revelations of a Square, page 142) that the phrase It rains, to indicate that a Cowan is present and the proceedings must be suspended, is derived from the ancient punishment of an eavesdropper, which was to place him under the eaves of a house in rainy weather, and to retain him there till the droppings of water ran in at the collar of his coat and out at his shoes. [Mackey's Encyclopedia of Freemasonry, Book 2]

So there you have it, next time you're in this position, remember the phrase. 

~RHJ

RWB. Robert Johnson is the Managing Editor of the Midnight Freemasons blog. He is a Freemason out of the 1st N.E. District of Illinois. He currently serves as the Secretary of Waukegan Lodge No. 78 where he is a Past Master. He also serves as the District Deputy for the 1st N.E. District of Illinois. Brother Johnson currently produces and hosts weekly Podcasts (internet radio programs) Whence Came You? & Masonic Radio Theatre which focus on topics relating to Freemasonry. He is also a co-host of The Masonic Roundtable, a Masonic talk show. He is a husband and father of four, works full time in the executive medical industry and is also an avid home brewer. He is currently working on a book of Masonic essays and one on Occult Anatomy to be released soon.

The Three Secrets Your Grand Master Doesn’t WANT YOU To Know

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

WB Adam Thayer

How about that headline? Pretty exciting, wasn’t it? Definitely made you want to click right through, and see what those secrets might be… Of course, if you’ve been on the internet for any length of time, you recognize this as what is being called “clickbait”. It’s a headline specifically designed to get your attention and get you to view the page, so that the owner can get some of that sweet advertising revenue from your views.

Why does it work? Well, there are two main aspects in play here. First, they are promising you something exciting and interesting, and perhaps even secret. Second, the human brain is oddly wired to find enjoyment in list-formats, because it tells them roughly what to expect, and approximately how long the experience will last. It’s crazy, and psychologists are still trying to figure out exactly why it works from an evolutionary standpoint. For marketers, it doesn’t matter why it works, they just know that it does.

For most of our existence, Freemasonry has avoided the “clickbait” trap of marketing. Instead of making attractive offers to induce membership, we’ve relied on a quiet word-of-mouth campaign to let the public know what we’re about, and gathered new members who came of their own free will. If you’ll indulge me (and if not, why are you still reading this?), I’d like to try something a little different:

Become a Freemason and learn the FIVE SECRET WORDS that can CHANGE the WORLD.

If we marketed Freemasonry like that, how many new men would we have pounding down our doors? Can you picture billboards and radio ads blasting that message, reaching parts of the public that we’ve never reached before?

What quality of men would we get? Would we get the men we want, who are going to contribute to the betterment of the fraternity? Or would we get the curiosity seekers? In short, would we get the best of the best, or the worst of the worst?

Clickbait marketing works, pure and simple, but is it a good fit for Masonry? I once wrote about recruitment in terms of a shotgun and a sniper rifle, and clickbait marketing is the purest example of the shotgun approach. Do we try to attract everyone, in the hopes that we get some good diamonds among the coal? Or do we continue to be selective in who we let in, at the risk of overlooking good men and potentially going extinct due to lack of interest?

The question I keep coming back to is: Don’t we already do this with our Rites? I can’t speak for how your experience has been, but I joined both the Scottish and York Rites on the promise that I would gain a further understanding of the symbolism in our craft, in ways that I could use in my own life to improve myself. Instead, I found ritual that was performed out of a book, by men who didn’t understand what they were trying to teach, and business meetings that were more stuffy and stilted than the Blue Lodge meetings that everyone complains about. Of course, not all areas face the same issues that my region does, so if you’re in a Rite where you’re getting good education, AWESOME! I hope you can help to spread that to other regions that aren’t doing it!

To me, it illustrates the true downside of clickbait marketing: you can attract viewers (or in our case, members) with it, but you won’t necessarily keep them. Even if you have great substance to back it up, you’re going to lose a majority of what you’ve gained; anything easily gained is also easily lost.

Unfortunately, I’m seeing the trend of clickbait headlines creeping into our education as well. On some other Masonic sites out there, I’m starting to notice more and more headlines that read like they’re an article from BuzzFeed or Cracked: “Twelve Secrets Of Freemasonry That You Didn’t Know”, “Four Surprising Men Who Were Masons”, and so on. They’re sacrificing content for clicks, and it shows; it is no surprise to anybody that George Washington was a Freemason, we all are aware of that, and you can’t claim to be shocked to tell us!

(As a side note here, I’m specifically NOT naming those sites, because I still have a lot of respect for them. To the brothers who run them and are doing this: please stop, it’s degrading to all of us.)

I’ve written myself into the worst place for an author to find himself: I have provided the problem, but I don’t have the solution! As a writer, I hate not being able to neatly wrap everything up in a bow for you, but as a Freemason I’m actually pretty happy about it. Freemasonry, regardless of what people tell you, doesn’t always provide the answers, but instead gives you the tools to start finding them yourself.

Now, if you want to find out what the actual answers are, tune in next week when we present “Adam Thayer Provides The Seven Answers That YOUR GRAND LODGE Doesn’t Want You To Read!!!”

~AT

Bro. Adam Thayer is the Junior Warden of Lancaster Lodge No 54 in Lincoln (NE) and the Worshipful Master of Oliver Lodge No. 38 in Seward (NE). He’s an active member of the Scottish Rite, and Knight Master of the Lincoln Valley Knights of Saint Andrew. Adam serves on the Education Committee of the Grand Lodge of Nebraska. You can contact him at adam.thayer@gmail.com

The New Year Is Coming, Harpocrates!

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

Robert H. Johnson, PM

The new year is around the corner and with that comes renewal. Renewal of things both old and maybe not so old. Another beginning. As humans, we see the world and time in an odd way, we see things linearly. That is, we need a beginning, a middle and an end. From the death, springs new life. Life is after all an amazing cycle.

Although you may think at this point in this piece I am going to tell you to renew your Masonic something rather for the new year, rest easy. I'm not going to do that. But I will regale you with the tale of Harpocrates or as he may have been known to ancient Egyptians, Har-Pi-Krati. He was a god-like child figure, often depicted in the nude and sitting on a lotus flower.

He is considered in the Egyptian culture as most likely representing a renewal and new year because of a yearly consecration of peach blossoms which were given to his busts and carvings. Also, because he was the representation of Horus as a god-child, Horus representing the newborn sun at each new dawn. Masonically, there is a "cooler" connection, which is that of secrecy.

Typically in his depictions Harpocrates was shown with his finger pressed to his lips as if somehow telling us to keep a secret. So, when the Romans conquered Egypt and adopted this god, they gave him the name we have today, Harpocrates or Heru-pa-khered which meant "Horus the Child". At some point they lose the idea of renewal and focus on the outward appearance and subsequently associated him with representing secrecy, something all Freemasons value.

So, remember to keep the secrets brothers!

The Mystery of Oak Island : Masonic connections to a real National Treasure site

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

Steven L. Harrison 33°, PM, FMLR

"I'm going to steal the Declaration of Independence."

Accompanied by the thousand yard stare that comes free with every epiphany, that is how Benjamin Franklin Gates (a.k.a Nicholas Cage) matter-of-factly announces where he will find the key to wealth beyond imagination... a hidden map to the long-lost Masonic Treasure.

We all know Ben got the job done in the movie National Treasure, but that was fiction.  Fact is, there is no map on the back of the Declaration of Independence.  There may be, however, a place where that cache is real.  Treasure hunters have speculated that solid evidence about the place may lead them to nothing less than Solomon's treasure, the Holy Grail or the Arc of the Covenant; or maybe all three and even more.  The place is so captivating that, along with others, high profile Freemasons like Franklin D. Roosevelt, John Wayne and Richard Byrd have contributed to the efforts to unearth the potential fortune there.  It has proven to be a stubborn place, not yielding its secrets easily.  Many have tried, some have died
.
What is it about this spot that has led to its link with the Freemasons? Let’s start at the beginning…

The Money Pit

The story or, if you prefer, legend goes something like this:

Oak Island

Along about 1795, eighteen-year-old Daniel McGinnis found a circular depression in the ground on a small Canadian island.  It was beneath an old oak tree with strange markings carved in it, and reports say a block and tackle was hanging from one of the branches.  He figured something had been buried there; something very big and very heavy.  He rounded up two friends, John Smith and Anthony Vaughan, and they started digging.  Today, nearly 220 years later, we're still digging.  Depending on the reports you can read, the effort has led treasure hunters through nearly 200 feet of muck, mud-caked chambers with oak floors, a cement vault with walls seven inches thick, tantalizing artifacts with strange symbols  and, of course, the mother of all booby traps that they still can't bypass.  This isn't the fiction of Benjamin Gates. It's all very mysterious, very real and, unless a bunch of 18^th century guys played history's biggest practical joke, there may be something very important down there.  Legend has it that seven people will die before the treasure is recovered.  It also says the treasure won't be found until there is no living oak tree left on the island.  As of today six men have died in the quest and there is but one oak tree left.  Still, no one knows what is at the bottom of this mysterious place, now known as "The Money Pit," located on tiny Oak Island, a peanut-shaped dot tucked into Mahone Bay, about 40 miles southwest of Halifax, Nova Scotia (or about 175 miles east of Bar Harbor, Maine).

It didn't take McGinnis and his friends very long to dig about three feet into the pit where they found a layer of carefully laid flagstones.  To them, this was clear evidence that the hole they had found was not a natural phenomenon and it spurred them to continue the dig, which became increasingly difficult as the hole — 13 feet wide — deepened.  At a depth of ten feet the young men discovered a layer of oak logs laid across the width of the shaft.  This second discovery also encouraged them to keep going.  They found another layer of logs at the depth of 20 feet, and another at 30 feet.  Having dug down 30 feet in a pit 13 feet in diameter was all they could take, and they gave up.

The Onslow Company and the Cipher Stone

The hole sat unattended for eight years until 1803.  Vaughan had a connection with the Onslow Company of Nova Scotia and, on behalf of the original trio, he arranged for it to bring in some heavy equipment to "finish" the dig.  Onslow workers went down another 60 feet before they, too, gave up.  At regular intervals of ten feet, just like the McGinnis group, Onslow found layers of oak logs. The crew speculated the wood layers were there to prevent the dirt filling the hole from sinking and crushing the contents below.  

Replica cipher stone

Onslow found no treasure, but the company made a couple of significant discoveries.  At about 60 feet, the crew found coconut fibers, which were commonly used as packing material; however, the nearest coconut trees were 1,500 miles south of Oak Island, indicating whatever was in the pit was not of local origin.  Perhaps more significantly, at the 90-foot level the men allegedly found a stone slab with strange markings.  Of course, no one could interpret the "cipher stone," as it is now known, but the crew did take it as an encouraging sign.  The stone has been lost, and most historians think it is nothing more than a legend.  Some accounts say the owner of Oak Island took it home and used it as part of his fireplace hearth.  Whatever happened to it, if it existed at all, the supposed inscription was copied.  Two independent scholars have interpreted its inscription to say, "Forty feet below, two million pounds lie buried."  Legend or not, the Onslow crew figured it was on to something and kept digging... but not for long.

Booby Trap

Whether there was a cipher stone or not, digging through the 90-foot level activated a "booby trap" that flooded the pit back up to sea level (approximately the 32-foot mark).  Some researchers have speculated the trap worked on the same principle as a soda straw someone dunks into a glass of water, holding a finger against the top of the straw.  The inside of the straw remains filled with air until that person removes the finger, then it fills with water.  Removal of the cipher stone, or whatever was at that level, broke the seal.  It appeared whoever built the pit constructed a side channel out to the sea and, when the seal was broken, the water rushed in.  Upon being unable to drain the water, the Onslow Company gave up its search.

Reports on the nature of this water trap differ.  Some researchers claim to have found a series of five channels leading into the main channel that fed into the Money Pit.  During a 1995 survey, however, the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution filled the main chamber with red dye.  They then observed the dye exiting into the ocean at three different locations.  The scientists there concluded that this meant the pit flooded due to a natural phenomenon, not because of a man-made trap.  Others refuted the findings saying they proved there were multiple water traps, proving the construction to be extremely sophisticated for something built prior to the end of the 18^th century.  Adding to the confusion, in 1897, another group calling itself the Oak Island Treasure Company said it discovered the booby trap tunnel while excavating between the money pit and Smith's Cove to the east.

Later, explorers found a "five finger drain" coming out of the island at Smith's Cove, claiming this proved conclusively the booby trap was real.  Not so, claimed another researcher, speculating the unusual drain was part of a previously unknown salt works. 

More Digging

Many companies and individuals have made attempts to complete the dig since the Onslow company left.  John Wayne owned one of the companies that tried.  Antarctic explorer Richard Byrd also became involved in the project.  In 1910, a young Franklin Roosevelt made the first of two trips to the site, and maintained a lifelong interest in it.

One of the main goals of many of the digs since Onslow left has been to drain the shaft.  Even with some fairly sophisticated modern technology, no one has been able to do it and the Money Pit remains flooded to this day.  Other teams taking core samples gathered by drilling directly into the hole have found new intriguing artifacts.  At 98 feet searchers discovered a layer of spruce.  On below they discovered three links of a gold metal chain.  

The Oak Island Parchment

In 1897, during the same dig in which the Oak Island Treasure Company claimed to have found the booby trap tunnel, workers also drilled into the shaft for core samples.  At the 153 foot level they found seven inches of cement fragments, followed by another seven inches at the 160 foot level.  In between, they found a parchment fragment about the size of a dime, with the letters "w" and "v" written on it (others say the inscription is "VI").  The paper was treated with traces of mercury, assumed to be there for preservation.  Given the configuration of the cement samples, the company concluded the fragment was inside a concrete vault.  In the 1930s, the Chappell, Hedden, and Hamilton dig drilled through the same spot but didn't find any cement.

Contemporary Exploration

The dig site in 1931

Treasure hunters at the site have been less active in recent years.  The last significant dig took place in 2010.  At that time, explorers measured seismic activity and yielded results termed “interesting,” but the latest available published results stem from a 2008 exploration.  Oak Island, especially the area surrounding the Money Pit, may be the most extensively studied piece of real estate in North America.  Modern researchers have discovered metal buried in several places on the island and speculate there are multiple locations where additional treasure, or artifacts, may be buried.  Still, in over two centuries, except for a few tantalizing scraps, no “treasure” has been recovered.

Today, Oak Island is under private ownership.  Until 2011, the province of Nova Scotia scrupulously regulated treasure hunting applications and had a history of being slow to issue anyone a "Treasure Trove License.”  The province issued the 2010 license to the seemingly inappropriately named company, Oak Island Tourism, Inc.,  a consortium consisting of most of the property owners on the island along with a few others.  In 2011, the "Oak Island Act" came into effect which allowed treasure hunting to continue under the terms of the former license.  No reports of significant activity since then, however, have surfaced.

Another group, Friends of Oak Island (friendsofoakisland.com), actually arranges tours.  This group conducted several walking tours during the summer of 2013 and indicated it had plans of continuing to do so.  The island is otherwise closed to visitors. The province of Nova Scotia has considered developing the island as a major tourist attraction, but that project has yet to gain momentum.

Theories

It wouldn't be too much of an exaggeration to say there are countless theories attempting to explain the contents or purpose of the Oak Island Money Pit.   As is usually the case, each of the theories has supporting documents, anecdotes and suppositions to back it up – as well as detractors.  Some think either the British or the French hid funds there to keep them away from their respective enemies during the American Revolution.  Others believe it to be Spanish or even Mayan treasure.  Given the fact that a video probe into a secondary pit revealed grainy scenes of what may be a body, there is speculation that it is the tomb of someone important.  One of the most prevalent theories is that the Money Pit guards the treasure of the infamous pirate Captain Kidd.  Alleged deathbed confessions from members of his crew may support that conjecture.  

Another theory claims the pit is nothing more than a sinkhole.  Those supporting this theory point to recent indications that the findings on the island are more in line with a natural phenomenon.  They contend the booby trap is the result of porous stone found elsewhere in the area.  They also say the oak logs found at regular intervals weren't as regularly laid out as some claim, and that they were just sucked in when the sinkhole was formed.  When it comes to artifacts found there, the gold chain for example, they contend they were planted to spur additional digging.

One of the more creative theories stems from claims William Shakespeare didn't write all of the plays attributed to him, but rather Francis Bacon did at least some of the writing (if not all of it).  Since no original Shakespearean manuscript has ever been found, some believe they will turn up at the bottom of the Oak Island pit where Bacon may have had them hidden.  Proponents of this theory point to the dime-sized, mercury-preserved paper fiber for support.

The speculation rolls on and on with some theories having degrees of credibility and some careening off the wall and flailing in from left field.  Various researchers have proposed the contents of the pit may have come from (among others): the Egyptians, Aztecs, Mayans, Vikings, Portuguese and even, yes... space aliens.  Take your pick.

And then there are the Freemasons.  Whenever there is a mystery, someone is bound to throw in a theory about how those scoundrels the Masons are behind it all.  The Oak Island treasure has all the ingredients – suspected treasure, mysterious and ancient origins, symbolism and complex construction that only some of history's greatest builders could have pulled off.  Many of the Oak Island researchers put the Freemasons right at the top of their list of suspects.

The Knights Templar

Historically, most Freemasons and independent scholars agree Freemasonry descended from the craft guilds of the medieval stone masons.  Still, there are connections some feel indicate Masonic origins stem from the order of warrior clergy known as the Knights Templar, a name which today's York Rite Commandery members have assumed.

Originally formed as a band of knights to protect the Holy Land, the Templars took vows of poverty, chastity and obedience to God.  Some have suspected the members of finding Solomon's treasure while they resided at the site of his temple, although no signs of digging are apparent there. Along with that treasure, they also might have discovered the Arc of the Covenant and the Holy Grail.  Over the years the Knights Templar fought, won and seized the assets of their enemies.  Being a monastic order, the Templars paid no taxes and, despite their vows of poverty, became so wealthy they actually formed Europe's first continent-wide banking system.  Rumors swirled about their activities, with detractors claiming they had abandoned their original vows and were engaging in forbidden non-Christian practices. 

By the beginning of the 14^th century, the order had become a weakened military group but was otherwise exceedingly rich and powerful.  The Knights Templar answered only to the Church, and King Philip IV of France became wary of their power and jealous of their wealth.  Philip kidnapped the Pope (who mysteriously died) and eventually replaced him with Pope Clement V, whom Philip controlled.  With the setup in place, Philip struck on Friday, April 13, 1307.  With the blessing of his puppet Clement, Philip orchestrated a simultaneous raid on all Templar centers.  He arrested the knights, confiscated their wealth, charged them with unspeakable crimes and tortured them to gain confessions.

Rumor supported by some evidence has it that some of the knights escaped, grabbed all or part of the great treasure and headed for the hills... the hills of Scotland, where they found refuge in the stonemasons’ lodges.  The treasure, some suggest, went directly to Oak Island, which is unlikely since Europeans didn't learn about the New World for another 185 years.  Others suggest the Templars took the treasure to Scotland where it was hidden in Rosslyn Chapel.

Some suspect the treasure is still hidden at Rosslyn, but searches have yielded nothing but more speculation.  Alternative theories say the Templars forged an alliance with the family of William Sinclair who built Rosalyn.  Later, they contend, Sinclair or one of his descendants had the treasure moved to Oak Island.  

So there you have it.  It's the Templar treasure on Oak Island because the knights bugged out of France with it and took it to an obscure place not yet discovered.  Or, they took it to Scotland with them and years later William Sinclair took it to Oak Island when, in fact, he apparently had a perfectly good hiding place for it at Rosslyn.  If you think there might be just a couple of holes in the Templar theory, fear not.  Other signs point to the Masons, too.

An Uncanny Similarity

The Bible tells us Enoch, seventh man from Adam and the great-grandfather of Noah, was a just and upright man who so pleased God that he did not die; rather, God took him directly to heaven (Hebrews 11:5).  We learn further from Jewish and Masonic legends that God saw Enoch as a man of such virtue he elected to reveal to him His true name.  Enoch dreamed God appeared to him and said, "Enoch, thou hast longed to know My true Name. Arise, and follow Me, and thou shalt learn it."  He transported Enoch to a mountain top where the true name of God was written in the clouds.  God then whispered the name to Enoch and forbade him to say it to anyone.  Afterward, God transported him into the earth through nine arches into a subterranean vault.  There, Enoch found a triangular gold plate containing the true name of God.  

When he awoke, Enoch took the dream as a sign from God and traveled to Canaan, where he dug the nine arch-covered subterranean apartments he had seen in his vision.  The lowest was made of solid rock.  There, upon a pedestal, he placed a triangular plate of gold containing the true name of God.  Above this excavation, he built "a modest temple of unhewn stones" with a secret passage leading into the apartments.  Underneath it all, the pedestal with the gold triangle waited for future generations to find.

And find it, they did.

The Scottish Rite's 13^th Degree is a legend about "recovering that which was lost." Commonly known in the Scottish Rite's Southern Jurisdiction as "The Royal Arch of Solomon," this degree has also been called the "Royal Arch of Enoch." 

In the ceremony of this degree, three candidates emulating workers Adoniram, Yehu-Aber and Satolkin are on a quest to descend through the nine apartments into the lowest vault.   Upon reaching it they find themselves in complete darkness.  When the workers uncover a pedestal, a bright light fills the room.  In this mysterious light, they are able to see the Ineffable Name of God.

Likewise, in the Royal Arch, or 7^th, Degree of the York Rite, three sojourners offer to help rebuild the temple.  Once the three prove themselves to be Most Excellent Masters the council members assign them to clear the ruins of the old Temple in preparation for the laying of the new Temple's foundation.  Eventually, the three workers discover a subterranean vault and two of them use a rope to lower the third into it.  There, on a triangular pedestal, the third sojourner finds "a curiously wrought box, on the top of which were three ancient squares."  Later, the squares are determined to be the jewels of office of Grand Masters Solomon, King of Israel, Hiram, King of Tyre and Hiram Abif.  The box contains a pot of manna, Aaron's rod and a scroll containing the long lost Book of the Law.

Although the items found in the two degrees differ, the existence of the pedestal and the pit are similar.  Additionally, historical commentaries indicate an earlier form of the Royal Arch Degree was more consistent with the 13^th degree in the Scottish Rite.

In other words, legend says Enoch left the ineffable word in the 9^th chamber of a subterranean pit to be discovered at a later date.  Then, in the 13^th Degree of the Scottish Rite or (depending on your interpretation) the Royal Arch Degree, three workers discover it.  This legend of Enoch bears an uncanny similarity to many characteristics of the Oak Island money pit:

McGinnis, Smith and Vaughan discovered and began excavating the Oak Island pit, corresponding to the three workers,  Adoniram, Yehu-Aber and Satolkin who discover Enoch's apartments.

A temple of unhewn stones sat on top of the shaft in the Enoch legend.  The money pit was covered by a layer of "unhewn" flagstones.

Enoch left his treasure in the 9^th subterranean chamber.  Beginning with the first layer of oak logs serving as its roof, to the bottom of the Oak Island pit, there are nine chambers.

The lowest of Enoch's chambers was made of stone. Core samples brought up in 1897 allegedly found a seven inch layer of cement at the 153 and 160 foot levels, indicating the lowest chamber contained a "stone" vault.

In the Royal Arch degree, part of the treasure found was the long lost Book of the Law, corresponding to, according to some, the parchment found within the lowest vault in 1897. 

The workers in the Royal Arch degree strike a rock with a crowbar prior to the discovery of the treasure.  The structure gives forth a hollow sound, which eventually reveals the underlying vault.  Likewise, just prior to ceasing operations, the Onslow Company — using a crowbar — dug up the cipher stone and reported striking a hollow sounding object just below.

Records indicate that very early on in the Oak Island digging process, workers found a rock with an iron ring embedded in it near Smith's Cove on the east end of the island.  In the 13^th Degree, the subterranean vault's door is a stone with an iron ring to enable its opening.

The similarities between the Masonic degrees and the characteristics of the Oak Island dig appear to be more than coincidental.  Regardless of what may lie at the bottom, Masons may have, over time, highlighted or even added facts to symbolize the pit as a representation of the 7th Degree in the York Rite or 13th Degree of the Scottish Rite. 

Blue Lodge and other Symbols

Even if theories corresponding to the Templars and to Enoch seem a bit shaky, many are still determined to pin the origin of the Oak Island mystery on the Freemasons.  It seems there is Masonic symbolism, or perceived Masonic symbolism, all over the island.   However, the Masonic connections on Oak Island, if they are real, are somewhat unique.  Most other theories relating events with possible Masonic origins compare their symbolism to attributes of Blue Lodge Masonry.  Although there are traces of the symbolism of those first three degrees on the island, most of what is there relates to the York or Scottish Rites.

When Freemasons leave signs of their presence, they generally don't delve into the "higher" degrees for symbols.  Symbols from the first three degrees on Oak Island, however are rare.  For starters, there are claims that there were Masonic markings on the tree above the pit.  Unfortunately, the only surviving indication of what those signs might have been is that they were "signs by which Freemasons identify themselves."  Absent the knowledge of what those signs were, we can only speculate they may have been more standard representations of the Blue Lodge.

Other discoveries of symbolism on the island, pointing to the Blue Lodge and beyond are as follows:

Letter "G":  In 1967, workers unearthed a granite boulder with the letter "G" carved into it.  The letter is formed inside a rectangle and  was found on the east side of the island, all items of significance recognizable to Freemasons, with the "G" itself alluding to the core of the ritual with connections to deity and the geometry of operative Masons.

The point within a circle.

Point Within A Circle: A 1936 expedition turned up several stones on the north side of the island near Joudrey's cove.  Gilbert Hedden who was in charge of the dig, reported the stones bore Masonic markings, but was not specific as to what the markings were.  On one stone, however, Hedden found a carving of a point within a circle.  Other markings on the stone appear to be the letter H and a cross flanked by four dots, which some researchers have concluded bear similarities to the Portuguese flag.

The heart shaped stone.

Heart-Shaped Stone: Another author, Mark Finnin, describes the discovery of a handworked heart-shaped stone, which he believes alludes to the sword pointing to a naked heart in the Entered Apprentice degree. (Finnan, Mark. 1997. Oak Island Secrets, rev. ed. Halifax, N.S.: Formac.)

The equilateral triangle.

Equilateral Triangle: There was (most reports indicate it is no longer there), on the south side of the island, an equilateral triangle measuring about ten feet on each side.  Rocks laid out at about one foot intervals formed the shape of the triangle as well as a semi-circle beneath it.  Through the center was another line of rocks pointing due north, with the triangle itself pointing directly toward the money pit.  Some have said the triangle also resembled a crude depiction of a sailing ship.

The Cross: Five large conical stones on the north side of the island form the shape of a Christian cross with a sandstone marking the center point of intersection, apparently alluding to the connection between the Masons and the Templars.  The cross is situated from northeast to southwest with a span of 720 feet and a height of 867 feet.  Due to the distance between the stone markers and the fact they were partially hidden in island undergrowth, the cross was not discovered until the early 1980s.

The Cypher Stone: Reportedly found at the opening to the final deep chamber, the cypher stone itself bore no Masonic markings, but told of a treasure buried below.  Some ascribe Masonic symbolism to it just by the fact that it was encrypted, seemingly implying that where there is encryption, there is Masonry.  Most notably, however, they relate it to the use of the Royal Arch cipher, although the coding on the stone as described was not that of the Royal Arch.

Those are the main items, but there is even more.  Various workmen's tools, corresponding to the working tools of a Freemason, have been unearthed on the island.  Most notably, searchers found a square underneath the finger drains in Smith's Cove.  Of course all Masons are aware of the place the square holds in their ritual, but not all squares are Masonic.  Author Dennis J. King, a Freemason, postulates that separately, the tools might not mean much but together they seem to represent signs and symbols of Freemasonry.  (The Oak Island Legend: The Masonic Angle, 2010).

Oak Island is at the very least an intriguing mystery.  Buried within the legends that have built up around it are certain facts that have made it an enigmatic and captivating place.  From a discovery made by three curious young men over 200 years ago, to the technology fueled digs of today, we still know nothing for certain.  All we do know is there may be absolutely nothing in the pit, or it may be the greatest treasure of all time.  Where is Benjamin Gates when you need him?

[This article was originally prepared and published in The Working Tools Magazine]

~SLH

Steve Harrison, 33° KCCH, is a Past Master of Liberty Lodge #31, Liberty, Missouri. He is the editor of the Missouri Freemason magazine, author of the book Freemasonry Crosses the Mississippi, a Fellow of the Missouri Lodge of Research and also its Senior Warden. He is a dual member of Kearney Lodge #311, St. Joseph Missouri Valley of the Scottish Rite, Liberty York Rite, Moila Shrine and is a member of the DeMolay Legion of Honor.