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Grand Lodge Of Scotland.
which appeared to have been made more with the view of suiting the convenience of Provincial Grand Masters for the time being rather than the convenience of the lodges in their provinces . The recommendation in the report was to form the existing three provinces into two —( i ) Haddington and Berwick , composed of the eight
lodges at Duns , Haddington , Eyemouth , Dunbar , Lauder , Coldstream , North Berwick , and East Linton ; and ( 2 ) Roxburgh and Selkirk , consisting also of eight lodges , at Kelso , Selkirk , Jedburgh , Hawick (?) , Galashields , and Stow . Peebles had been left out of this arrangement , as in the opinion of the Committee the placing of it in the metropolitan provinces was necessary to its existence .
The report was left over until the opinion thereon of the Provincial Grand Lodges and the lodges of the provinces should be received . In regard to the Aberdeen circular , it was reported from the Grand Committee that they had appointed a committee to communicate with the brethren who had been
signatories , and endeavour in a friendly spirit to bring the matter in dispute to a termination . It was also agreed to recognise and open fraternal relations with the Grand Lodge of South Australia , as has been done by the Grand Lodge of England .
It was reported that during the three months ending 30 U 1 July £ 17- ' had been voted in grants by the Committee from the fund of the Scottish Masonic Benevolence to necessitous brethren , or the widows or children of brethren . During last quarter there has been 682 new members of the Order enrolled in Grand Lodge . The income had been £ 806 , and the expenditure £ 660 . The other business was unimportant .
Provincial Grand Lodge Of Renfrewshire, East. (S.C.)
PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF RENFREWSHIRE , EAST . ( S . C . )
A Ouarterly Communication of this lodge was held on Saturday afternoon , the ist inst ., in the Masonic Hall , Glasgow , Bro . ex-Bailie Caldwell , P . M ., presiding . The Benevolent Fund Committee recommended that grants be ' given to twoWidows of deceased brethren , and this was agreed to .
The Committee appointed to arrange for the le vying of an annual test fee submitted its report , which was allowed to lie on the table for consideration till next meeting .
A Committee reported their investigation into a complaint against certain irregularities of a daughter lodge , in which it was stated there were grounds for several of the allegations made , but that others were of a < trivial nature . The lodge adopted the report .
A motion by Bro . J . HERDMAN , No . 592 , to the effect that the Present and Past Commissioned Office-Bearers of the Provincial Grand Lodge be constituted a Standing Committee for the Consideration of Finance , & c , was negatived by a large majority , and Bro . HERDMAN gave notice that he Would repeat the motion , slightly amended , at the next meeting .
On Some Esoteric Significations Of The Six-Pointed And The Five-Pointed Stars.
ON SOME ESOTERIC SIGNIFICATIONS OF THE SIX-POINTED AND THE FIVE-POINTED STARS .
A PAI'ER BV S . LlDOELL MATHERS , HoNORARV VIII . ' - ' , READ HEIORE THE RoSICRUCIAN SOCIETY Ol' ENGLAND . I propose to lay before you this evening a brief paper on the Esoteric Significations of those two well-known symbols , symbols which are to be found in every Masonic lodge , and which yet are perhaps even more
replete with Occult suggestions than others which have been more jealously shrouded from the gaze of the Uninitiated—I refer to the Six-pointed and the Five-pointed Stars , better known to Students of Occult Science under the respective appellations of " The Sign ol the Macrocosm " and "The Sign of the Microcosm . "
Let us first examine the Six-pointed Star , the Symbol of the Macrocosm , or Greater World , sometimes also called the " Shield of David " and " The Seal of Solomon . " It consists of two interlaced Triangles , one with the apex upwards , the other inverted ; or , the symbols of the uniting of Fire and Water , of Astral Light and Spermatic Chaos . In some ancient works it is represented with the inverted triangle black , and theother triangle
red ; the respective colours of Fire and Matter ; or , in the Alchemical
nomenclature , of Sulphur and Mercury . Further , it is the Symbol of liquation of Force , of the balance of Light and ' Darkness , of GOD , and of NATURE . Its Six points symbolise the Six limitations of Matier , the Six faces of the Cube of the Universe , the Six Days of Creation . To the L Initiate it conveys the whole first Chapter of Genesis and the Qabalistic Cosmogony of the Zohar . The following extract , given by Eliphaz Levi , affords an illustration of this : —
" The Knowledge of the Occult is the Science of the Equilibrium . "Forces which produce themselves without being counterbalanced perish in the Void .
"Thus have perished the Kings ol the Ancient World , the Princes of the Giants ; they have fallen like trees without roots , and their place is found no more . " It was owing to the conflict of unbalanced Forces that the devastated Flarth was bare and without form , when the Breath of God made a firmament in the Heaveris and separated the mass of the Lower Waters .
"All the aspirations of Nature were then towards Unity of Form , towards the Living Synthesis of Counterbalanced Powers , and the Brow of God , crowned with Light , raised Itself above the vast Ocean , and reflected Itself in the Lower Waters . " His two Eyes appeared , radiating with Brilliancy , darting two arrows of Flame , which crossed with the Rays of the Reflection .
On Some Esoteric Significations Of The Six-Pointed And The Five-Pointed Stars.
"The Forehead of God and His two Eyes formed the TRIANGLE OF THE HEAVENS , and . the Reflection formed the TRIANGLE OV THE WATERS . "Thus was the NUMBER SIX revealed , which was that of the Universal Creation . " The author of the Zohar continues his sublime dream , and goes on to describe the formation of the World .
In the Book of Jasher we read " In the Beginning God created the -Ether and the Chaos . " In the Book of Genesis we read that " Darkness was upon the FACE of the Deep , and the Ruach Elohim moved upon the FACE of the Waters . " And thus , as Synthesis of that Mighty Work , the Sign of the Macrocosm stands forth—the Star of the Universe , the Star of the Creation , the Symbol of the Life of Nature ; while above and through the Chaos of Existence vibrates the Mind Divine .
With such sublime meanings hidden in its six-rayed form , can we then wonder that it was considered so significant an emblem ; that it was called the Talisman of Talismans , and the Pentacle of Pentacles r
Let us now consider the Five-pointed Star , the Symbol of the Microcosm or Lesser World , of our own Human Life as contrasted with that of the Universe . It may be described as a figure formed by a line starting from a given point , and reflected four times so as at length to terminate at the point where it commenced . It was in use among the Pvthagoreans . and was called
by them Pentalpha , as it resembles 5 A ' s grouped around a centre . This Symbol has two distinct classes of Signification according to whether it is represented with the single angle upwards or downwards . In the former instance it is symbolic of Good , in the latter of Evil .
With the point upwards it represents Man the Image of God , Adam the Image of the Adam Qadmon . In it are contained the Symbols of the Sephiroth the Pillars of Heaven and Earth . It is Life particularized as opposed to Life generalized . In this sense also it may be taken as the emblem of Anthropomorphic Theology , the mixed and united God-Man ,
darkly referred to by the Qabalists as the " Seir-Anpin . It is especially the symbol of the more Exoteric forms of the various Creeds;—of that beautiful Poem of Nature , the Greek's Artistic Religion : of the Mithras of Persia , the Krishna of India , the Osiris of Egypt ; for it is the Symbol of that Greatest Equilibrium Who is the Second Person , the I . H . and the V . H . combined with the S .
But with the point downwards it is the representative of Evil , it is the Head of the Goat , the cold and dark Capricorn of the Zodiac , the Black He-Goat of the Sorcerers of the Middle Ages , the Baphomet , and the Hyle , and the Averted Force . It is the Destruction of the Equilibrium , the Separation of the Universe , the wild whirling Motion of unbalanced
Powers , the Averse of the Qabalistic Sephiroth . Time and space alike forbid my entering more fully into this subject , and I must , therefore , here close this paper , hoping that it has at least interested my hearers . October 7 th , 1884 .
Goethe As A Freemason.
GOETHE AS A FREEMASON .
Heir Pietsch , of Leipzig , has just published an annotated edition of his essay , entitled " J ohann Wolfgang von Goethe als FYeimaurer , " which is considered to throw additional light on the poet's connection with the Craft . Readers of Findel ' s valuable " History of Freemasonry" will no doubt remember the short account it contains of the distinguished brother , who
was initiated in the Lodge Amalia , of Weimar , on 23 rd June , 1780 , and raised to the Degree of M . M . at the same meeting with Duke Carl August on the 2 nd March , 17 S 2 . Owing to the prevalence of war , the work of the lodge was suspended for very many years , but in 1808 , under the influence of the Duke it was resumed , and in 1810 Goethe was offered but declined
the Mastership . On the 18 th February , 1813 , at a funeral lodge held in honour of Bro . Wieland , likewise a member of Amalia , Goethe , as Orator of the lodge , delivered an address commemorative of his brother poet and Mason , in the presence of Duke Carl and the members of his house , and the other brethren . On the 23 rd June , 1830 , the lodge
celebrated Goethe ' s Masonic jubilee , or the 50 th anniversary of his initiation into Masonry , the poet ' s contribution to the festivity being his poem "On the fraternal Festival of St . John ' s Day , 1830 . " On the 22 nd March , 1 S 32 , Goethe died , and on the 9 th November following , at a lodge held to his memory , Bro . C . W . Von Fritsch , in his address ,
remarked : " For more than 50 years Goethe devoted himself to the Brotherhood , and was specially active after the Lodge ' Amalia ' had adopted the simple Rite of the Grand Lodge of Hamburg , revised by Schroder . Each event of importance , each festival of the lodge , awakened a most lively interest in his mind , ' so that all spe eches , songs , and arrangements of any
consequence were first submitted to him for cxamin at ion and approval . ' " Herr Pietsch , in his essay , gives at length the poet ' s application for admission into the Society , as well as the address delivered to him by Lodge Amalia on the occasion of his jubilee , and there is , we hear , much else in the essay which will probably be new even lo those who may already have gleaned some particulars of Goethe's Masonic career .
FORSTER , J . G . —Born in 1754 ; died in 1794 , went with his father on Captain Cook's voyage . He was teacher of natural history in Cassel and in Wilna from 177 S to 1787 . He became chief librarian to the Elector of Mayence in 178 S ; but was removed in 1792 , owing to some personal hostility , and just as he was about to sail for India he died , in 1794 . He wrote "Raise urn die Welt , 2 Bande , " London , 1777 ; 3 , in German , 1784 . His
" s ; immtliche Schnflen ' were edited by his daughter in 9 vols ., Leipsic , 1843-1844 . He was a Freemason , and in 1784 the Lodge "Zur wahren Eintracht , " at Vienna , held a lodge festivity in honour of his presence there . This lodge then boasted amongst its members , distinguished in the world of ^ literature and art , Alxinger , Blumauer , Born , Denis , Eckhel , Haydn , Sonnenfels , and others .. —Kcnuiitg ' s Cydopcedia of Freemasonry .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Grand Lodge Of Scotland.
which appeared to have been made more with the view of suiting the convenience of Provincial Grand Masters for the time being rather than the convenience of the lodges in their provinces . The recommendation in the report was to form the existing three provinces into two —( i ) Haddington and Berwick , composed of the eight
lodges at Duns , Haddington , Eyemouth , Dunbar , Lauder , Coldstream , North Berwick , and East Linton ; and ( 2 ) Roxburgh and Selkirk , consisting also of eight lodges , at Kelso , Selkirk , Jedburgh , Hawick (?) , Galashields , and Stow . Peebles had been left out of this arrangement , as in the opinion of the Committee the placing of it in the metropolitan provinces was necessary to its existence .
The report was left over until the opinion thereon of the Provincial Grand Lodges and the lodges of the provinces should be received . In regard to the Aberdeen circular , it was reported from the Grand Committee that they had appointed a committee to communicate with the brethren who had been
signatories , and endeavour in a friendly spirit to bring the matter in dispute to a termination . It was also agreed to recognise and open fraternal relations with the Grand Lodge of South Australia , as has been done by the Grand Lodge of England .
It was reported that during the three months ending 30 U 1 July £ 17- ' had been voted in grants by the Committee from the fund of the Scottish Masonic Benevolence to necessitous brethren , or the widows or children of brethren . During last quarter there has been 682 new members of the Order enrolled in Grand Lodge . The income had been £ 806 , and the expenditure £ 660 . The other business was unimportant .
Provincial Grand Lodge Of Renfrewshire, East. (S.C.)
PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF RENFREWSHIRE , EAST . ( S . C . )
A Ouarterly Communication of this lodge was held on Saturday afternoon , the ist inst ., in the Masonic Hall , Glasgow , Bro . ex-Bailie Caldwell , P . M ., presiding . The Benevolent Fund Committee recommended that grants be ' given to twoWidows of deceased brethren , and this was agreed to .
The Committee appointed to arrange for the le vying of an annual test fee submitted its report , which was allowed to lie on the table for consideration till next meeting .
A Committee reported their investigation into a complaint against certain irregularities of a daughter lodge , in which it was stated there were grounds for several of the allegations made , but that others were of a < trivial nature . The lodge adopted the report .
A motion by Bro . J . HERDMAN , No . 592 , to the effect that the Present and Past Commissioned Office-Bearers of the Provincial Grand Lodge be constituted a Standing Committee for the Consideration of Finance , & c , was negatived by a large majority , and Bro . HERDMAN gave notice that he Would repeat the motion , slightly amended , at the next meeting .
On Some Esoteric Significations Of The Six-Pointed And The Five-Pointed Stars.
ON SOME ESOTERIC SIGNIFICATIONS OF THE SIX-POINTED AND THE FIVE-POINTED STARS .
A PAI'ER BV S . LlDOELL MATHERS , HoNORARV VIII . ' - ' , READ HEIORE THE RoSICRUCIAN SOCIETY Ol' ENGLAND . I propose to lay before you this evening a brief paper on the Esoteric Significations of those two well-known symbols , symbols which are to be found in every Masonic lodge , and which yet are perhaps even more
replete with Occult suggestions than others which have been more jealously shrouded from the gaze of the Uninitiated—I refer to the Six-pointed and the Five-pointed Stars , better known to Students of Occult Science under the respective appellations of " The Sign ol the Macrocosm " and "The Sign of the Microcosm . "
Let us first examine the Six-pointed Star , the Symbol of the Macrocosm , or Greater World , sometimes also called the " Shield of David " and " The Seal of Solomon . " It consists of two interlaced Triangles , one with the apex upwards , the other inverted ; or , the symbols of the uniting of Fire and Water , of Astral Light and Spermatic Chaos . In some ancient works it is represented with the inverted triangle black , and theother triangle
red ; the respective colours of Fire and Matter ; or , in the Alchemical
nomenclature , of Sulphur and Mercury . Further , it is the Symbol of liquation of Force , of the balance of Light and ' Darkness , of GOD , and of NATURE . Its Six points symbolise the Six limitations of Matier , the Six faces of the Cube of the Universe , the Six Days of Creation . To the L Initiate it conveys the whole first Chapter of Genesis and the Qabalistic Cosmogony of the Zohar . The following extract , given by Eliphaz Levi , affords an illustration of this : —
" The Knowledge of the Occult is the Science of the Equilibrium . "Forces which produce themselves without being counterbalanced perish in the Void .
"Thus have perished the Kings ol the Ancient World , the Princes of the Giants ; they have fallen like trees without roots , and their place is found no more . " It was owing to the conflict of unbalanced Forces that the devastated Flarth was bare and without form , when the Breath of God made a firmament in the Heaveris and separated the mass of the Lower Waters .
"All the aspirations of Nature were then towards Unity of Form , towards the Living Synthesis of Counterbalanced Powers , and the Brow of God , crowned with Light , raised Itself above the vast Ocean , and reflected Itself in the Lower Waters . " His two Eyes appeared , radiating with Brilliancy , darting two arrows of Flame , which crossed with the Rays of the Reflection .
On Some Esoteric Significations Of The Six-Pointed And The Five-Pointed Stars.
"The Forehead of God and His two Eyes formed the TRIANGLE OF THE HEAVENS , and . the Reflection formed the TRIANGLE OV THE WATERS . "Thus was the NUMBER SIX revealed , which was that of the Universal Creation . " The author of the Zohar continues his sublime dream , and goes on to describe the formation of the World .
In the Book of Jasher we read " In the Beginning God created the -Ether and the Chaos . " In the Book of Genesis we read that " Darkness was upon the FACE of the Deep , and the Ruach Elohim moved upon the FACE of the Waters . " And thus , as Synthesis of that Mighty Work , the Sign of the Macrocosm stands forth—the Star of the Universe , the Star of the Creation , the Symbol of the Life of Nature ; while above and through the Chaos of Existence vibrates the Mind Divine .
With such sublime meanings hidden in its six-rayed form , can we then wonder that it was considered so significant an emblem ; that it was called the Talisman of Talismans , and the Pentacle of Pentacles r
Let us now consider the Five-pointed Star , the Symbol of the Microcosm or Lesser World , of our own Human Life as contrasted with that of the Universe . It may be described as a figure formed by a line starting from a given point , and reflected four times so as at length to terminate at the point where it commenced . It was in use among the Pvthagoreans . and was called
by them Pentalpha , as it resembles 5 A ' s grouped around a centre . This Symbol has two distinct classes of Signification according to whether it is represented with the single angle upwards or downwards . In the former instance it is symbolic of Good , in the latter of Evil .
With the point upwards it represents Man the Image of God , Adam the Image of the Adam Qadmon . In it are contained the Symbols of the Sephiroth the Pillars of Heaven and Earth . It is Life particularized as opposed to Life generalized . In this sense also it may be taken as the emblem of Anthropomorphic Theology , the mixed and united God-Man ,
darkly referred to by the Qabalists as the " Seir-Anpin . It is especially the symbol of the more Exoteric forms of the various Creeds;—of that beautiful Poem of Nature , the Greek's Artistic Religion : of the Mithras of Persia , the Krishna of India , the Osiris of Egypt ; for it is the Symbol of that Greatest Equilibrium Who is the Second Person , the I . H . and the V . H . combined with the S .
But with the point downwards it is the representative of Evil , it is the Head of the Goat , the cold and dark Capricorn of the Zodiac , the Black He-Goat of the Sorcerers of the Middle Ages , the Baphomet , and the Hyle , and the Averted Force . It is the Destruction of the Equilibrium , the Separation of the Universe , the wild whirling Motion of unbalanced
Powers , the Averse of the Qabalistic Sephiroth . Time and space alike forbid my entering more fully into this subject , and I must , therefore , here close this paper , hoping that it has at least interested my hearers . October 7 th , 1884 .
Goethe As A Freemason.
GOETHE AS A FREEMASON .
Heir Pietsch , of Leipzig , has just published an annotated edition of his essay , entitled " J ohann Wolfgang von Goethe als FYeimaurer , " which is considered to throw additional light on the poet's connection with the Craft . Readers of Findel ' s valuable " History of Freemasonry" will no doubt remember the short account it contains of the distinguished brother , who
was initiated in the Lodge Amalia , of Weimar , on 23 rd June , 1780 , and raised to the Degree of M . M . at the same meeting with Duke Carl August on the 2 nd March , 17 S 2 . Owing to the prevalence of war , the work of the lodge was suspended for very many years , but in 1808 , under the influence of the Duke it was resumed , and in 1810 Goethe was offered but declined
the Mastership . On the 18 th February , 1813 , at a funeral lodge held in honour of Bro . Wieland , likewise a member of Amalia , Goethe , as Orator of the lodge , delivered an address commemorative of his brother poet and Mason , in the presence of Duke Carl and the members of his house , and the other brethren . On the 23 rd June , 1830 , the lodge
celebrated Goethe ' s Masonic jubilee , or the 50 th anniversary of his initiation into Masonry , the poet ' s contribution to the festivity being his poem "On the fraternal Festival of St . John ' s Day , 1830 . " On the 22 nd March , 1 S 32 , Goethe died , and on the 9 th November following , at a lodge held to his memory , Bro . C . W . Von Fritsch , in his address ,
remarked : " For more than 50 years Goethe devoted himself to the Brotherhood , and was specially active after the Lodge ' Amalia ' had adopted the simple Rite of the Grand Lodge of Hamburg , revised by Schroder . Each event of importance , each festival of the lodge , awakened a most lively interest in his mind , ' so that all spe eches , songs , and arrangements of any
consequence were first submitted to him for cxamin at ion and approval . ' " Herr Pietsch , in his essay , gives at length the poet ' s application for admission into the Society , as well as the address delivered to him by Lodge Amalia on the occasion of his jubilee , and there is , we hear , much else in the essay which will probably be new even lo those who may already have gleaned some particulars of Goethe's Masonic career .
FORSTER , J . G . —Born in 1754 ; died in 1794 , went with his father on Captain Cook's voyage . He was teacher of natural history in Cassel and in Wilna from 177 S to 1787 . He became chief librarian to the Elector of Mayence in 178 S ; but was removed in 1792 , owing to some personal hostility , and just as he was about to sail for India he died , in 1794 . He wrote "Raise urn die Welt , 2 Bande , " London , 1777 ; 3 , in German , 1784 . His
" s ; immtliche Schnflen ' were edited by his daughter in 9 vols ., Leipsic , 1843-1844 . He was a Freemason , and in 1784 the Lodge "Zur wahren Eintracht , " at Vienna , held a lodge festivity in honour of his presence there . This lodge then boasted amongst its members , distinguished in the world of ^ literature and art , Alxinger , Blumauer , Born , Denis , Eckhel , Haydn , Sonnenfels , and others .. —Kcnuiitg ' s Cydopcedia of Freemasonry .