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SOVEREIGN
ORIENTAL ORDER AFRICA
R.O.R/MEMPHIS-MISRAÏM/A.A.S.R
NORTH GATE AFRICAN SOVEREIGN SANCTUARY
ABOUT FREEMASONRY
MAN, YOU HAVE TWO EARS TO HEAR THE SAME SOUND, TWO EYES TO PERCEIVETHE SAME OBJECT, TWO HANDS TO PERFORM THE SAME ACTION.IN THE SAME WAY THE MASONIC SCIENCE, THE SCIENCE "PAR EXCELLENCE", IS ESOTERIC AND EXOTERIC.ESOTERICISM CONSTITUTES THE TIIOUGHT, EXOTERICISM THE ACTION.EXOTERICISM IS LEARNED, IT IS TAUGHT, IT IS GIVEN;ESOTERICISM IS NOT LEARNED,IT IS NOT TAUGHT, IT IS NOT GIVENIT COMES FROM ABOVE.
L’être humain à deux oreilles pour entendre le même son, deux yeux pour percevoir le même objet, deux mains pour exécuter le même acte. De même, la Science Maçonnique, la Science par excellence est ésotérique et exotérique. L'ésotérisme constitue la pensée,l'exotérique le pouvoir,L'exotérisme s'apprend,s'enseigne, se donne, L'ésotérisme ne s'apprend, ne s'enseigne ni ne se donne : il vient d'en HAUT.
To achieve spiritual unfoldment on any path, the aspirant must earnestly seek after truth. All of us have the ability of realizing our inner potential, but like a seed planted in the soil, our potential has to be cared for and fostered before it can grow and bloom. Freemasonry provides a regimen of self-cultivation in the company of other aspirants to the Path.
Freemasonry is a science of symbols, in which, by their proper study, a search is instituted after truth, that truth consisting in the knowledge of the divine and human nature of God and the human Soul.
"LUX EX TENEBRIS"
Let all Free Masons so behave themselves, as to be accepted of God, the Grand Architect of the Universe-Sublime Architect of the Universe , and continue to be, as they have ever been, the Wonder of the World: And let the Cement of the Brotherhood be so well preserved that the whole Body may remain as a well-built Arch.
The World's great Architect is our Supreme Master, and the unerring Rule, he has given us, is that by which we work. Religious Disputes are never suffered in the Lodge; for as Masons, we only pursue the universal Religion or the Religion of Nature. This is the Cement which unites Men of the most different Principles in one sacred Band, and brings together those which were the most distant from one another. There are three general Heads of Duty which Masons ought always to inculcate, viz., to God, our Neighbours, and ourselves.
“Freemasonry, though not a religion, is essentially religious. Most of its legends and allegories are of a sacred nature . . . . [In one of those legends, twelve] Fellow Craftsmen are exploring the four points of the compass. Are not these twelve the twelve great world religions, each seeking its own way for that which was lost in the ages past, and the quest of which is the birthright of man? . . . All who are attempting to gain mastery through constructive efforts are Masons at heart, regardless of religious sect or belief. . . . Freemasonry is a philosophy that is essentially creedless. . . . The true Mason is not creed-bound. He realizes with the divine illumination of his lodge that as Mason his religion must be universal . . . . He worships at every shrine, bows before every altar, whether in temple, mosque, or cathedral, realizing with his truer understanding the oneness of all spiritual truth.”
SOME STATEMENTS FOR YOUR BETTER UNDERSTANDING:The Masonic Order is a carrier of promises. The Masonic Lodge is a hope. In its fullness it prepares man, by way of Initiation, to assume his evolution.Freemasons are builders. From the necessity of the apprenticeship, to the necessity of the trial. Freemasonry testifies that one could live his lifein a healthy and fruitful activity and this by an altruism freed of its hin-drances.The Lodge invites each to go towards himself. The free man is the product of the work that he accomplishes. The Freemason therefore defeats his passions and dies to himself in order to be born again to his state of Initiation.The application to enter into the Masonic Order is a sign of a search and of a commitment. This desire of going beyond oneself entailsanother vision for the profane of his duties - in the first place, to a concept of the Divine, then to Humanity, and finally, towards himself.This birth into a new existence, is the delivery in question of the being. This is the key to Initiation.One doesn't enter into Freemasonry as one enters into religion, one will have understood it!The Masonic engagement constitutes nothing other than the search for personal harmony, put into concrete form first through the Lodge to which one becomes affiliated.This awareness is acquired progressively, already by the exercise of rituals, but also by a totality of work. The symbolic studies in particular, allows to define the place that occupies Man among the other kingdoms that is the mineral, the vegetable, the animal, in order to result in striving for justification with the regard to the Universe, that is to say who goes "toward the United."Otherwise, as it is established that Freemasonry has brought many to Humanity, it is important to remember here that, victim of intolerance, it has paid a heavy price for its contribution.The Lodge is, symbolically, a closed and sacred place. It is in this place, in this Workshop, that the bonds and privileged relationships of Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity will be instituted between the Brothers .Masonic discipline is founded on a Tradition, it sets to work a human and sacred experience, it constitutes a liberating Authority.The degrees of instruction conferred by the Order of Memphis-Misraïm are divided into three series which constitute:- from the First to the Third Degree, SYMBOLIC Masonry,- from the Fourth to the Thirty-Third Degree, PHILOSOPHICALMasonry,- from the Thirty-Fourth to the Ninetieth Degree, HERMETIC or ESOTERIC Masonry. (The grades above the Ninetieth are Administrative in nature, and are reserved for the members of the various Sovereign Sanctuaries).SYMBOLIC Masonry gives an explanation of symbolism and disposes the beginnings of philosophical research.
PHILOSOPHICAL Masonry teaches the philosophy of history, aswell as the ancient myths. Its object is to put the student on the track of origi-nal research of the causes and effects.
HERMETIC and ESOTERIC Masonry is occupied with high philosophy, studies the religious myths of the different ages of Humanity and admits the most advanced philosophical and esoteric work Conscious of the limits of this century of science and technology yetpowerful in its foundation inherited from the Temples of Memphis, the Rite invites each to pass from the rational Knowing of today, in the strict sense of the term, to inner Knowledge.It invites its members to become part of a process, and a living integration of the Symbolic, which is neither intellectual or morally judgmental.This system is a renewed vision of the world at the dawn of the XXIst century.If modern Freemasonry feels sometimes a hesitation to enroll in the historic flow of the world, it is because after having lived as a journeyman from 1723 until today, it has collided with the limits of its immense desire to progress.Freemasonry continues its desire to arrive at universal fraternity through education, as well as through life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. However, despite its best efforts, we still see poverty, injustice, selfishness, and tyranny active in today’s world.The "fight for profane Life" appears to have taken modern Masonry out of the "fight for Spiritual Love." The possession of material goods does not - and cannot - satisfy the Soul and Mind.The Temple of Man and Humanity must be raised. The Rite of Memphis -Misraïm invites all beings of good will, who are not satisfied with words alone, and for whom enlightened acts constitute the only real contribution to the good of Humanity, to this immense worksite, and partake.The Ancient and Primitive Rite Memphis-Misraïm addresses itself to sincere seekers, desirous of perfecting themselves by working on symbolism and esotericism, notably anxious to search for the elements to answer the seri-ous problems of our times.
Freemasonry means different things to different people. Ask ten Freemasons what they do and why they do it and you’re likely to receive ten different answers. But common to every variation of an answer will be the strain that Freemasonry makes good men better, being as it is a system of self-improvement tried and tested over centuries. Ancient Egyptian history author, Alphonse Mariette, wrote of the Egyptian mystery schools, “To the initiated of the sanctuary, no doubt, was reserved the knowledge of the god in the abstract, the god concealed in the unfathomable depths of his own essence. But for the less refined adoration of the people were presented the endless images of deities sculptured on the walls of temples.” The very same could be said of Freemasonry."It is Freemasonry’s aim to educate an initiate on the god concealed in the unfathomable depths of his own essence, represented by the letter G in the middle of the square and compasses, symbolizing the divine spark within, the god essence of oneself."The Christian Priest, Origen, said that “The Egyptian philosophers have sublime notions with regard to the Divine nature, which they kept secret, and never discover to the people but under a veil of fables and allegories.” Once again, we see the similarities to the teaching methods of Freemasonry which is performed by way of symbolism and allegory and never revealed to the uninitiated (known as cowans).
The Masonic symbol of the Point Within a Circle inside two parallel, perpendicular lines is steeped in antiquity. Early Egyptian monuments have been discovered inscribed with the symbol of God — represented by the Alpha and Omega — in the center of a circle bordered by two perpendiculars, parallel serpents. In many ancient belief systems and mystery schools, a circle was used to symbolize God as, like a circle, God has no beginning and no end.
SOME STATEMENTS FOR YOUR BETTER UNDERSTANDING:The Masonic Order is a carrier of promises. The Masonic Lodge is a hope. In its fullness it prepares man, by way of Initiation, to assume his evolution.Freemasons are builders. From the necessity of the apprenticeship, to the necessity of the trial. Freemasonry testifies that one could live his lifein a healthy and fruitful activity and this by an altruism freed of its hin-drances.The Lodge invites each to go towards himself. The free man is the product of the work that he accomplishes. The Freemason therefore defeats his passions and dies to himself in order to be born again to his state of Initiation.The application to enter into the Masonic Order is a sign of a search and of a commitment. This desire of going beyond oneself entailsanother vision for the profane of his duties - in the first place, to a concept of the Divine, then to Humanity, and finally, towards himself.This birth into a new existence, is the delivery in question of the being. This is the key to Initiation.One doesn't enter into Freemasonry as one enters into religion, one will have understood it!The Masonic engagement constitutes nothing other than the search for personal harmony, put into concrete form first through the Lodge to which one becomes affiliated.This awareness is acquired progressively, already by the exercise of rituals, but also by a totality of work. The symbolic studies in particular, allows to define the place that occupies Man among the other kingdoms that is the mineral, the vegetable, the animal, in order to result in striving for justification with the regard to the Universe, that is to say who goes "toward the United."Otherwise, as it is established that Freemasonry has brought many to Humanity, it is important to remember here that, victim of intolerance, it has paid a heavy price for its contribution.The Lodge is, symbolically, a closed and sacred place. It is in this place, in this Workshop, that the bonds and privileged relationships of Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity will be instituted between the Brothers .Masonic discipline is founded on a Tradition, it sets to work a human and sacred experience, it constitutes a liberating Authority.The degrees of instruction conferred by the Order of Memphis-Misraïm are divided into three series which constitute:- from the First to the Third Degree, SYMBOLIC Masonry,- from the Fourth to the Thirty-Third Degree, PHILOSOPHICALMasonry,- from the Thirty-Fourth to the Ninetieth Degree, HERMETIC or ESOTERIC Masonry. (The grades above the Ninetieth are Administrative in nature, and are reserved for the members of the various Sovereign Sanctuaries).SYMBOLIC Masonry gives an explanation of symbolism and disposes the beginnings of philosophical research.
PHILOSOPHICAL Masonry teaches the philosophy of history, aswell as the ancient myths. Its object is to put the student on the track of origi-nal research of the causes and effects.
HERMETIC and ESOTERIC Masonry is occupied with high philosophy, studies the religious myths of the different ages of Humanity and admits the most advanced philosophical and esoteric work Conscious of the limits of this century of science and technology yetpowerful in its foundation inherited from the Temples of Memphis, the Rite invites each to pass from the rational Knowing of today, in the strict sense of the term, to inner Knowledge.It invites its members to become part of a process, and a living integration of the Symbolic, which is neither intellectual or morally judgmental.This system is a renewed vision of the world at the dawn of the XXIst century.If modern Freemasonry feels sometimes a hesitation to enroll in the historic flow of the world, it is because after having lived as a journeyman from 1723 until today, it has collided with the limits of its immense desire to progress.Freemasonry continues its desire to arrive at universal fraternity through education, as well as through life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. However, despite its best efforts, we still see poverty, injustice, selfishness, and tyranny active in today’s world.The "fight for profane Life" appears to have taken modern Masonry out of the "fight for Spiritual Love." The possession of material goods does not - and cannot - satisfy the Soul and Mind.The Temple of Man and Humanity must be raised. The Rite of Memphis -Misraïm invites all beings of good will, who are not satisfied with words alone, and for whom enlightened acts constitute the only real contribution to the good of Humanity, to this immense worksite, and partake.The Ancient and Primitive Rite Memphis-Misraïm addresses itself to sincere seekers, desirous of perfecting themselves by working on symbolism and esotericism, notably anxious to search for the elements to answer the seri-ous problems of our times.
Freemasonry means different things to different people. Ask ten Freemasons what they do and why they do it and you’re likely to receive ten different answers. But common to every variation of an answer will be the strain that Freemasonry makes good men better, being as it is a system of self-improvement tried and tested over centuries. Ancient Egyptian history author, Alphonse Mariette, wrote of the Egyptian mystery schools, “To the initiated of the sanctuary, no doubt, was reserved the knowledge of the god in the abstract, the god concealed in the unfathomable depths of his own essence. But for the less refined adoration of the people were presented the endless images of deities sculptured on the walls of temples.” The very same could be said of Freemasonry."It is Freemasonry’s aim to educate an initiate on the god concealed in the unfathomable depths of his own essence, represented by the letter G in the middle of the square and compasses, symbolizing the divine spark within, the god essence of oneself."The Christian Priest, Origen, said that “The Egyptian philosophers have sublime notions with regard to the Divine nature, which they kept secret, and never discover to the people but under a veil of fables and allegories.” Once again, we see the similarities to the teaching methods of Freemasonry which is performed by way of symbolism and allegory and never revealed to the uninitiated (known as cowans).
Initiation Rituals
Initiation Rituals
Masonic teaching centers on its initiation rituals. Each of Freemasonry’s three degrees takes the candidate through a journey steeped in history, symbolism, and allegory to teach him lessons of how to raise his divine spark, realize his relationship to a higher power (God, Grand Architect, Supreme Being, etc) and live a life of moral rectitude. Occult scholar, Lewis Spence (1874 – 1955) tells us of the same goal of initiation in Ancient Egypt:
“The purpose of initiation is a conventional attempt to realize man’s place in the universe and in the divine scheme of things, and for this, I believe, the Egyptian Mystery System achieved for the first time in an orderly and philosophical manner … Have we no lessons to learn from Egypt? Aye, the greatest in the world, the knowledge of that divine introspection which alone can give man the likeness of the Divine.”
Masonic author, Albert Mackey, believed in a relationship between modern Freemasonry and Ancient Egypt. Wrote Mackey: “The identity of design and method in the two systems, as illustrated by the division—into steps, classes, or degrees—to which both were subjected, viz., lustration (purification, or preparation), initiation, and perfection.”
The Widow’s Son
The Widow’s Son
Another link between modern Freemasonry and Egypt is the Isis – Osiris story that formed the crux of the Ancient Egyptian belief system.
In the Egyptian rites, Horus is the savior-avenger, son of Isis, magically conceived through ritual after the brutal murder of her husband/brother Osiris. We can apply this myth to modern Freemasonry’s allegory of the murder of Hiram Abiff, the chief architect of Solomon’s Temple. Isis, made a widow by Osiris’ murder (Freemason’s are called Widow’s Sons), gives birth through initiation ritual to Horus, the redeemer, raised solely that me may avenge the destruction of wisdom (by Set aka chaos) and restore peace, harmony and the just god, in whom there is no death (the Divine Spark within).
The Similarity in Symbols and Teaching
The Similarity in Symbols and Teaching
Other similarities between Freemasonry and the Egyptian Mystery Schools are seen in certain Masonic symbols and initiation procedures.
When he first enters a lodge room for initiation, the candidate for Freemasonry is blindfolded and has a rope tied around his neck by which he is led in a circuit of the room. This rope is called a cable tow.
The Cable Tow
The Cable Tow
The cable-tow is purely Masonic in meaning and use, but as with many Masonic symbols, it is rooted in antiquity. Vases from ancient Mexico have been unearthed that show candidates proceeding through a ceremony of initiation in which they are being taught a sign while wearing a noosed rope around their necks. In the religious ceremonies of the Brahmins, Greeks, and Druids, halters were worn around an initiate’s neck. In the mystery schools of Ancient Egypt, a chain was placed around a candidate’s neck as part of his preparation for initiation. As in Freemasonry, the Egyptian candidate was also blindfolded to represent a state of darkness before emerging into the light of knowledge when the blindfold was removed.
The White Apron
The White Apron
When a candidate becomes a Freemason, he is presented with a white apron consisting of a square overlaid with a triangle. The apex of the triangular flap represents the divine spark we must endeavor to recover. It is the part of us made in the image of our Creator, and there’s no better geometric figure to symbolize this than the triangle. After all, geometrically a triangle is the very first shape that can be made by drawing straight lines. This is why the number 3 was venerated by the ancients and still is to this day.
The Triangle of Divine Spark
The Triangle of Divine Spark
In Judaism, the triangle represents the past, present, and future. To the Chinese: heaven, earth, and water. To the Hindus: creation, preservation, and renewal. The three points of the triangle also represent the conscious mind, the subconscious mind, and the collective unconscious. The Ancient Egyptian ceremony of initiation led the candidate to a door shaped exactly as a Masonic apron: a triangle over a square, symbolizing his progression from an earthly, material existence (square) into a heavenly, spiritual existence of higher learning (triangle).
The Point Within a Circle
The Masonic symbol of the Point Within a Circle inside two parallel, perpendicular lines is steeped in antiquity. Early Egyptian monuments have been discovered inscribed with the symbol of God — represented by the Alpha and Omega — in the center of a circle bordered by two perpendiculars, parallel serpents. In many ancient belief systems and mystery schools, a circle was used to symbolize God as, like a circle, God has no beginning and no end.The Point Within a Circle
The Honeycomb
The Honeycomb
One of the emblems of the third degree of Freemasonry is the honeycomb. Many ancient civilizations revered bees and honey. The Ancient Egyptians developed methods of advanced apiculture as far back as 3000 BCE. Menes, the first King of Egypt, who ruled somewhere between 5000 BCE to 4000 BCE, was called ‘The Beekeeper,’ a title bestowed on all subsequent Pharaohs.
Depictions of bees and honey are prevalent on many Egyptian carvings including the Flamic and Pamphilic obelisks, the obelisk of Luxor, the pillars of the Temple of Karnak and on statues of Rameses II. Even the Rosetta Stone, which dates to 196 BCE, was etched with pictures of bees. Royal tombs in Egypt also show the importance of beekeeping and honey, including the enormous sarcophagus of Rameses II which includes numerous pictures of honeybees. Foodstuffs created by bees, such as pots of honey, honeycombs, and honey cakes, were placed by the sarcophagi as food for the gods. Even Alexander the Great requested that his body be wrapped in honey upon his death.
Secrecy and silence play a big part in Masonic teaching but are not exclusive to the organization. Wellins Calcott, author of A Candid Disquisition of the Principles and Practices of the Most Ancient and Honorable Society of Free and Accepted Masons (quite possibly the longest book title ever), wrote of the ancient veneration of secrecy and silence:“We shall find that the old Egyptians had so great a regard for silence and secrecy in the mysteries of their religion, that they set up the god Harpocrates, to whom they paid peculiar honor and veneration, who was represented with the right hand placed near the heart, and the left down by his side, covered with a skin before, full of eyes and ears, to signify, that of many things to be seen and heard, few are to be published.”Apuleius, who was an initiate in the Mysteries of Isis, said:“By no peril will I ever be compelled to disclose to the uninitiated the things that I have had entrusted to me on condition of silence.”The best-known champion of silence and secrecy was Pythagoras, who ventured to Egypt to study the Mysteries, which he later brought back to Greece. To become a member of the Pythagorean School, an initiate took an oath of silence for two to five years. Novices were called ‘Listeners’ and were not permitted to partake in class discussions, but only to listen so the teaching could be absorbed before entering into an intellectual debate on what they learned.The connections between Ancient Egypt and modern Freemasonry are many, and only a few are presented in this article. To say that Freemasonry was born from the Egyptian Mystery Schools and their initiation rituals is true in part. Nobody can claim to know the full history of Freemasonry and the origin of each of its symbols. The Egyptian Mystery Schools played a part in its development, as did those of the Greeks, Romans, Druids, Essenes, Cathars, Rosicrucians, Alchemists, and the guilds of the Medieval Stone Masons.
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