1
00:00:00,800 --> 00:00:03,400
Thank you for downloading this 
episode of our podcast. 

2
00:00:06,100 --> 00:00:09,100
Hi, and welcome to the podcast 
for Solomon staircase, Masonic 

3
00:00:09,100 --> 00:00:12,100
lodge number 357. 
When we talk about all things 

4
00:00:12,100 --> 00:00:15,300
related, with Freemasonry 
including traumatic teachings, 

5
00:00:15,300 --> 00:00:19,200
philosophy reason spirituality 
and much more we're located in 

6
00:00:19,200 --> 00:00:21,600
Buena Park. 
Southern California, tuned in as

7
00:00:21,600 --> 00:00:24,400
we continue to update our 
podcast with informative talks 

8
00:00:24,500 --> 00:00:26,500
and articles for Mason's 
worldwide. 

9
00:00:26,600 --> 00:00:35,700
And those who would like to 
inquire within The following 

10
00:00:35,700 --> 00:00:39,600
article is from the October 
1998, Scottish Rite Journal of 

11
00:00:39,600 --> 00:00:42,300
Freemasonry, Southern 
jurisdiction, USA. 

12
00:00:43,300 --> 00:00:46,700
Masonic tracing boards and 
Western metaphysical tradition 

13
00:00:47,100 --> 00:00:50,000
by W. 
Kirk McNulty 32nd degree. 

14
00:00:51,100 --> 00:00:54,900
Masonic Tracy boards are 
training devices in the earliest

15
00:00:54,900 --> 00:00:58,500
days of speculative masonry. 
The master would sketch designs 

16
00:00:58,500 --> 00:01:01,600
on the floor of the lodge using 
chalk, then he would talk about 

17
00:01:01,600 --> 00:01:05,099
the drawing, during the meeting.
During the course of the 18th 

18
00:01:05,099 --> 00:01:07,900
century, the drawings were 
transferred to tracing boards 

19
00:01:07,900 --> 00:01:11,300
which are pictures. 
One per degree that encapsulate,

20
00:01:11,300 --> 00:01:12,500
the symbols of each of the 
degrees. 

21
00:01:12,500 --> 00:01:17,800
The board's do which we will 
refer our English speculative, 

22
00:01:17,800 --> 00:01:22,600
masonry started in the 1600s and
its Are references to that vast 

23
00:01:22,600 --> 00:01:25,500
body of literature and 
philosophy, Which documents 

24
00:01:25,500 --> 00:01:28,300
Renaissance thought in the 
Renaissance. 

25
00:01:28,300 --> 00:01:32,100
The dominant metaphysic was 
judeo Christian monotheism with 

26
00:01:32,100 --> 00:01:35,500
an admixture of classical 
thinking Renaissance, 

27
00:01:35,500 --> 00:01:39,600
philosophers Incorporated, many 
Greek, particularly neoplatonic 

28
00:01:39,700 --> 00:01:43,100
and Jewish mystical ideas into 
their Orthodox Christianity. 

29
00:01:43,900 --> 00:01:47,300
Some of these influences came 
from the hermetica which had 

30
00:01:47,300 --> 00:01:50,400
itself been a substantial 
influence in the formation of 

31
00:01:50,400 --> 00:01:51,900
early. 
And doctrines. 

32
00:01:52,400 --> 00:01:55,900
Others came from Kampala the 
mystical tradition of Judaism, 

33
00:01:56,500 --> 00:02:00,100
this Fusion of classical and 
Jewish philosophy is called the 

34
00:02:00,100 --> 00:02:03,600
Hermetic kabbalistic tradition 
and after it had been 

35
00:02:03,600 --> 00:02:06,800
interpreted in the context of 
Orthodox Christian doctrine, it 

36
00:02:06,800 --> 00:02:10,900
became the basis of Renaissance 
thinking speculative masonry 

37
00:02:10,900 --> 00:02:13,700
dates from the end of the 
Renaissance, the mid 17th 

38
00:02:13,700 --> 00:02:17,600
century and it is no surprise 
that Masonic symbolism reflects 

39
00:02:17,600 --> 00:02:21,100
this tradition. 
The first degree tracing board, 

40
00:02:21,100 --> 00:02:23,500
which looks at first glance, 
like, collection of 

41
00:02:23,500 --> 00:02:28,000
heterogeneous objects is, I 
think a representation of the 

42
00:02:28,008 --> 00:02:31,600
entire universe. 
It is also a picture of a human 

43
00:02:31,600 --> 00:02:35,100
being standing in a landscape. 
Neither of these images, is 

44
00:02:35,100 --> 00:02:38,500
immediately obvious, but I think
these ideas will become clear. 

45
00:02:39,600 --> 00:02:42,500
The central idea of Renaissance 
thought was the unity of the 

46
00:02:42,500 --> 00:02:45,700
universe and the consequent 
omnipresence of the deity. 

47
00:02:46,400 --> 00:02:49,000
This idea is represented by the 
ornaments of the law. 

48
00:02:50,100 --> 00:02:52,800
The fact that masonry has 
gathered these three objects 

49
00:02:52,800 --> 00:02:56,200
into a single group suggests 
that we consider them together, 

50
00:02:56,900 --> 00:03:00,600
the ornaments of the lodge are 
the Blazing star or Glory, the 

51
00:03:00,600 --> 00:03:04,200
checkered pavement and the 
indented tessellated border. 

52
00:03:05,200 --> 00:03:09,900
All refer to the deity the 
Blazing star or glory is found 

53
00:03:09,900 --> 00:03:11,700
in the heavens at the center of 
the picture. 

54
00:03:12,200 --> 00:03:15,600
It is a straightforward heraldic
representation of the deity, 

55
00:03:16,300 --> 00:03:19,100
look at the Great Seal of the 
United States on a dollar bill 

56
00:03:19,100 --> 00:03:21,500
and you will see the data 
represented there in the same 

57
00:03:21,500 --> 00:03:25,200
manner, the checkered pavement, 
represents the day dies 

58
00:03:25,200 --> 00:03:29,200
perceived in ordinary life, The 
light and dark squares, 

59
00:03:29,200 --> 00:03:32,600
represent paired. 
Opposites it mixture of mercy 

60
00:03:32,600 --> 00:03:35,900
and Justice, reward and 
Punishment, passion and 

61
00:03:35,900 --> 00:03:38,500
Analysis, Vengeance, and loving 
kindness. 

62
00:03:39,200 --> 00:03:42,700
They also represent The Human 
Experience of Life, light and 

63
00:03:42,700 --> 00:03:47,200
dark, good and evil, he's and 
difficulty, but that is only how

64
00:03:47,200 --> 00:03:50,300
it is perceived. 
The squares are not the symbol. 

65
00:03:50,800 --> 00:03:54,600
The pavement is the symbol The 
light and dark squares fit 

66
00:03:54,600 --> 00:03:57,500
together with exact nicety to 
form the pavement. 

67
00:03:57,500 --> 00:04:01,800
A single thing. 
A Unity the hole is surrounded 

68
00:04:01,800 --> 00:04:05,100
by the tessellated border which 
binds it into a single symbol. 

69
00:04:05,700 --> 00:04:09,900
The Border binds, not simply the
squares but the entire picture 

70
00:04:09,900 --> 00:04:14,300
into a Unity. 
The idea of Duality occurs 

71
00:04:14,300 --> 00:04:17,100
throughout the board from the 
black and white squares at the 

72
00:04:17,108 --> 00:04:19,200
bottom, to the sun and moon at 
the top. 

73
00:04:19,700 --> 00:04:23,000
In the central area of the 
board, Duality is represented by

74
00:04:23,000 --> 00:04:26,600
two of the three columns. 
But here, the third column 

75
00:04:26,600 --> 00:04:30,000
introduces a new idea. 
The Striking thing about these 

76
00:04:30,000 --> 00:04:33,400
columns is that each is from a 
different order of architecture 

77
00:04:34,000 --> 00:04:36,500
and Masonic symbolism. 
They are assigned a names. 

78
00:04:37,000 --> 00:04:40,900
Wisdom to the ionic column in 
the middle strength to the door 

79
00:04:40,900 --> 00:04:43,900
column on the left. 
And Beauty to the Corinthian 

80
00:04:43,900 --> 00:04:46,700
column on the right. 
How shall we interpret these 

81
00:04:46,700 --> 00:04:50,400
columns in their names? 
One of the major components of 

82
00:04:50,400 --> 00:04:54,300
Renaissance thought was Kabbalah
the principle diagram which is 

83
00:04:54,300 --> 00:04:56,300
used by the cabal list to 
communicate. 

84
00:04:56,300 --> 00:05:00,100
Their ideas is the Tree of Life.
The column on the right is 

85
00:05:00,100 --> 00:05:03,900
called the column of Mercy. 
The active column that on the 

86
00:05:03,900 --> 00:05:06,000
left is called the column uh 
severity. 

87
00:05:06,400 --> 00:05:10,400
The passive column, the central 
column is called the column of 

88
00:05:10,400 --> 00:05:14,300
Consciousness, it is the column 
of equilibrium, with the role of

89
00:05:14,300 --> 00:05:15,900
keeping the other two in 
balance. 

90
00:05:16,800 --> 00:05:20,500
The three columns all terminate 
in Divinity, at the top of the 

91
00:05:20,500 --> 00:05:23,800
central column referring to the 
columns on the first-degree 

92
00:05:23,800 --> 00:05:26,900
tracing board note. 
That the Corinthian pillar of 

93
00:05:26,900 --> 00:05:29,300
beauty is on the right and the 
classical world. 

94
00:05:29,300 --> 00:05:32,100
The Corinthian order was used 
for buildings dedicated to 

95
00:05:32,100 --> 00:05:36,300
vigorous expensive activities, 
the Doric Pillar of Strength is 

96
00:05:36,300 --> 00:05:38,800
on the left. 
The Doric order was used for 

97
00:05:38,800 --> 00:05:42,000
buildings housing activities in 
which discipline, restraint and 

98
00:05:42,000 --> 00:05:45,800
stability were important. 
The ionic pillar of wisdom is in

99
00:05:45,800 --> 00:05:49,000
the middle. 
The ionic order is recognized as

100
00:05:49,000 --> 00:05:51,700
an intermediate between the 
other two and was used for 

101
00:05:51,700 --> 00:05:54,500
temples to the rulers of the 
Gods who coordinated the 

102
00:05:54,500 --> 00:05:58,600
activities of the pantheon, the 
three pillars like the Tree of 

103
00:05:58,600 --> 00:06:00,900
Life. 
Speak of a universe in which 

104
00:06:00,900 --> 00:06:04,200
expensive, and constraining 
forces are held in Balance by a 

105
00:06:04,207 --> 00:06:08,200
coordinating agency. 
The universe of the Renaissance 

106
00:06:08,200 --> 00:06:12,200
philosophers consisted of four 
Worlds, the Kabbalah static 

107
00:06:12,300 --> 00:06:16,700
representation of this idea is 
shown by the for large circles. 

108
00:06:16,700 --> 00:06:21,200
Denoting for worlds, they are 
the elemental or physical world,

109
00:06:21,600 --> 00:06:25,400
the celestial world of the 
psyche, or Soul the super 

110
00:06:25,400 --> 00:06:30,200
Celestial world or Spirit and 
the Divine World, these same 

111
00:06:30,200 --> 00:06:33,300
levels are represented on the 
first-degree tracing board. 

112
00:06:34,000 --> 00:06:38,200
The pavement represents the 
elemental physical world, the 

113
00:06:38,200 --> 00:06:40,500
central part of the board, 
including the columns. 

114
00:06:40,500 --> 00:06:44,000
And most of the symbols 
represents the celestial world, 

115
00:06:44,200 --> 00:06:49,000
for the psyche of the soul. 
The heavens represent, these 

116
00:06:49,000 --> 00:06:52,800
super Celestial world of the 
spirit and the glory represents 

117
00:06:52,800 --> 00:06:55,700
Divinity. 
These ideas describe the 

118
00:06:55,700 --> 00:06:57,800
landscape. 
Where is the man? 

119
00:06:58,700 --> 00:07:02,400
Another important Renaissance 
concept was that of a macrocosm 

120
00:07:02,500 --> 00:07:06,200
the universe as a whole and a 
corresponding microcosm the 

121
00:07:06,200 --> 00:07:09,800
human individual. 
The idea is that the Universe 

122
00:07:09,800 --> 00:07:13,600
and human beings are structured 
using the same principles both 

123
00:07:13,600 --> 00:07:18,100
being made in the image of God. 
Consider the latter it extends, 

124
00:07:18,100 --> 00:07:21,200
from the scripture on the altar,
to the glory, which represents 

125
00:07:21,200 --> 00:07:24,200
the deity. 
And in the Masonic symbolism, it

126
00:07:24,200 --> 00:07:27,700
is said to be Jacob's Ladder. 
We consider the ladder together 

127
00:07:27,700 --> 00:07:31,400
with another The point within a 
circle bounded by two parallel 

128
00:07:31,400 --> 00:07:34,100
lines, which is shown on the 
face of the altar. 

129
00:07:35,600 --> 00:07:38,600
These symbols are discussed 
together because in many early, 

130
00:07:38,600 --> 00:07:41,400
Masonic drawings, they appear 
together as if they have some 

131
00:07:41,400 --> 00:07:45,400
connection. 
Consider the two parallel lines 

132
00:07:45,600 --> 00:07:50,000
first, they like the Doric and 
Corinthian, columns represent 

133
00:07:50,000 --> 00:07:52,900
paired, opposites active and 
passive qualities. 

134
00:07:53,600 --> 00:07:56,800
In Masonic symbolism, they are 
associated with the Saint, John,

135
00:07:57,300 --> 00:08:00,700
the Baptist day is, Midsummer 
the Evangelist is midwinter. 

136
00:08:01,700 --> 00:08:05,500
Now this point within a circle 
bounded by two parallel lines 

137
00:08:05,700 --> 00:08:08,800
together with the ladder and 
it's three levels reveals a 

138
00:08:08,808 --> 00:08:10,300
pattern. 
Very similar to the three 

139
00:08:10,300 --> 00:08:13,400
columns. 
There are three verticals The 

140
00:08:13,400 --> 00:08:16,900
lines relate to active and 
passive functions while the 

141
00:08:16,900 --> 00:08:20,300
third, the ladder between them, 
reaches to the heaven and 

142
00:08:20,300 --> 00:08:23,000
provides the mean, by which we 
hope to arrive there. 

143
00:08:23,700 --> 00:08:27,900
The latter has three principal 
rounds or levels represented by 

144
00:08:27,900 --> 00:08:31,700
faith hope and charity which 
correspond to the three lower 

145
00:08:31,700 --> 00:08:33,600
levels of the for level 
Universe. 

146
00:08:33,600 --> 00:08:38,700
We observed earlier. both the 
macro Cosmic Landscape and the 

147
00:08:38,708 --> 00:08:42,299
microcosmic man, share, the 
fourth level of divinity 

148
00:08:42,500 --> 00:08:46,800
represented by the Blazing star,
or Glory taken together, the 

149
00:08:46,800 --> 00:08:49,800
ladder and the point within a 
circle bounded by two parallel 

150
00:08:49,800 --> 00:08:53,300
lines, represent the human 
individual made in the image of 

151
00:08:53,300 --> 00:08:56,700
God according to the same 
principles on which the universe

152
00:08:56,700 --> 00:09:00,800
is based, Amazing is sometimes 
called a traveling man. 

153
00:09:01,300 --> 00:09:04,300
One of the Masonic catechisms 
gives us an insight into this 

154
00:09:04,300 --> 00:09:08,000
term question. 
Did you ever travel answer my 

155
00:09:08,000 --> 00:09:12,900
forefathers did question, where 
did they travel answer due east 

156
00:09:12,900 --> 00:09:15,800
and west question? 
What was the object of their 

157
00:09:15,800 --> 00:09:19,000
travels answer? 
They traveled East in search of 

158
00:09:19,000 --> 00:09:21,100
instruction and West to 
propagate. 

159
00:09:21,100 --> 00:09:23,900
The knowledge. 
They had gained Notice the 

160
00:09:23,900 --> 00:09:26,400
cardinal points of the compass 
on the border of this Tracey 

161
00:09:26,400 --> 00:09:28,500
board. 
They defined the East-West 

162
00:09:28,500 --> 00:09:31,300
Direction in Masonic terms and 
in doing so. 

163
00:09:31,300 --> 00:09:34,100
They describe the nature of the 
journey to which the new Mason 

164
00:09:34,100 --> 00:09:38,700
apprentices himself that Journey
from west to east is represented

165
00:09:38,700 --> 00:09:42,000
symbolically by the progress, 
through the Masonic degrees. 

166
00:09:42,300 --> 00:09:45,600
And it is, in fact, the ascent 
up Jacob's Ladder. 

167
00:09:46,100 --> 00:09:48,300
One of the principal rounds for 
each degree. 

168
00:09:49,700 --> 00:09:53,400
The notion of a mystical Ascent 
was part and parcel of the 

169
00:09:53,400 --> 00:09:57,400
Hermetic kabbalistic tradition. 
It is a devotional exercise 

170
00:09:57,400 --> 00:10:00,100
during which the individual 
Rises through the worlds of the 

171
00:10:00,100 --> 00:10:02,400
soul. 
And the spirit, and a last finds

172
00:10:02,400 --> 00:10:06,000
himself, experiencing the 
presence of the deity, some of 

173
00:10:06,000 --> 00:10:09,200
these assets are deeply 
Christian in their character. 

174
00:10:09,900 --> 00:10:13,600
In day, occulta philosophy, 
Agrippa Rises through the three 

175
00:10:13,600 --> 00:10:16,600
Worlds, the elemental world, the
celestial world. 

176
00:10:16,600 --> 00:10:19,300
The super Celestial world where 
he is in contact. 

177
00:10:19,400 --> 00:10:23,300
The Angels were the Trinity is 
proved the Hebrew names of God 

178
00:10:23,300 --> 00:10:25,700
are listed though. 
The name of Jesus, is now the 

179
00:10:25,700 --> 00:10:30,200
most powerful of all names. 
The second degree tracing, born 

180
00:10:30,300 --> 00:10:33,700
shows a familiar pattern two 
columns, which have opposite 

181
00:10:33,700 --> 00:10:36,200
characteristics and between them
a staircase. 

182
00:10:36,400 --> 00:10:39,400
A form of ladder. 
We cannot investigate this 

183
00:10:39,400 --> 00:10:43,000
symbol here because of space 
limitations, but we know, we are

184
00:10:43,000 --> 00:10:46,100
to climb this staircase. 
The picture summarizes the 

185
00:10:46,100 --> 00:10:49,000
Renaissance idea of the approach
to data t as an interior 

186
00:10:49,000 --> 00:10:51,900
Journey. 
Find the third degree tracing 

187
00:10:51,900 --> 00:10:53,900
board. 
The grave, probably does not 

188
00:10:53,900 --> 00:10:56,800
refer to physical death during 
the Renaissance. 

189
00:10:56,800 --> 00:11:00,400
There was much discussion about 
the fall of Man and its effect. 

190
00:11:01,000 --> 00:11:04,400
The fall seems to refer to some 
event, by which human beings who

191
00:11:04,400 --> 00:11:07,700
are at one time, conscious of 
the divine presence, lost that 

192
00:11:07,700 --> 00:11:11,200
Consciousness after the fall 
ordinary, human life. 

193
00:11:11,200 --> 00:11:14,400
As we live it on a day-to-day 
basis is like death when 

194
00:11:14,400 --> 00:11:17,600
compared to human potential and 
to a life lived in the conscious

195
00:11:17,600 --> 00:11:21,600
awareness of divine presence. 
The grave suggest, such a death 

196
00:11:21,600 --> 00:11:25,200
to be our present State, The 
Acacia growing at the top of the

197
00:11:25,200 --> 00:11:27,800
Grave suggest that there is a 
spark of Life, which can be 

198
00:11:27,800 --> 00:11:31,200
encouraged to grow and refers to
the possibility of regaining. 

199
00:11:31,200 --> 00:11:35,300
Our original Divine connection, 
The view of the temple in the 

200
00:11:35,300 --> 00:11:38,500
center of the third degree board
shows King Solomon's porch. 

201
00:11:38,900 --> 00:11:40,900
The entrance to the holy of 
holies. 

202
00:11:41,400 --> 00:11:45,000
The veil is drawn black with a 
little offering a glimpse into 

203
00:11:45,000 --> 00:11:46,900
that chamber. 
Where the data was said to 

204
00:11:46,900 --> 00:11:51,100
arise, this suggests that at the
end of the journey from west to 

205
00:11:51,100 --> 00:11:54,300
east some process, analogous to 
death enables. 

206
00:11:54,300 --> 00:11:56,700
The individual to experience the
divine presence. 

207
00:11:57,500 --> 00:12:01,000
After this process has occurred,
he lives once more to his full 

208
00:12:01,000 --> 00:12:04,400
potential. 
Again, I think that this Neither

209
00:12:04,400 --> 00:12:07,800
to a resurrection after visible 
death, nor to a life after 

210
00:12:07,800 --> 00:12:10,300
physical death. 
Both of which are the domain of 

211
00:12:10,300 --> 00:12:15,000
religion, not masonry rather, it
refers to a psychological 

212
00:12:15,000 --> 00:12:17,200
spiritual process which can 
occur. 

213
00:12:17,200 --> 00:12:20,900
If it be God's will with any 
devout individual, who seeks it 

214
00:12:20,900 --> 00:12:23,700
earnestly and which I believe it
to be the business of 

215
00:12:23,700 --> 00:12:28,300
Freemasonry to encourage after 
all, we claim to be Freemasons. 

216
00:12:28,500 --> 00:12:32,000
And that is the truth, The 
Knowing of which makes you free.

217
00:12:40,000 --> 00:12:42,200
Thank you for listening. 
If you like what you heard, 

218
00:12:42,200 --> 00:12:44,000
Please Subscribe and leave us a 
comment. 

219
00:12:44,300 --> 00:12:45,900
We enjoy hearing from our 
listeners. 

220
00:12:46,100 --> 00:12:48,500
If you really like what you 
heard, share this podcast with 

221
00:12:48,500 --> 00:12:51,800
your friends and Lodge members. 
Visit us online at Salomon 

222
00:12:51,800 --> 00:12:53,400
staircase, dot-org