13/06/2026
We as Masons like to think of ourselves as some of the most enlightened people in the world.
Until we're not.
Until we encounter an idea that makes us uncomfortable. Then, too often, we retreat into the darkness we claim to be escaping, refusing to question, refusing to explore, and refusing to learn.
Yesterday, I shared a piece titled "Is Your Lodge Magickal?" In it, I expressed my belief that Masonry is, in many ways, a magickal system. I intentionally use the "K" in magick to distinguish it from stage magic and sleight of hand. I'm talking about inner transformation, spiritual growth, and the deliberate process of becoming something greater than we were before.
Let me be clear.
No, Masonry is not a religion.
No, Masonry does not offer dogma, doctrine, or a plan of salvation.
What Masonry does offer is a framework that works alongside one's faith and, in many cases, deepens it. It reminds us that we are all children of God and that we meet one another "on the level."
I'm not interested in debating those points.
What surprised me was not the article itself, but the reaction to an image I included.
The image showed me standing at a Masonic altar with the working tools arranged before me, one hand pointed upward and the other downward. The inspiration was the Magician card from the Tarot.
Apparently, that was enough to send a few Brothers into a panic.
I was called everything from a Satanist to a fool, along with several other comments that were neither charitable nor particularly Masonic.
The irony is that many of those criticizing the image never read beyond it.
For me, the Tarot is a tool for meditation and contemplation. While some use it for divination, that has never been my practice. I see it as a symbolic language that encourages reflection and self-discovery. In much the same way, I view the working tools of Masonry as instruments of transformation. Through their proper use, the Mason becomes a kind of magician—not one who performs tricks, but one who effects change according to will.
As I stated in the original article: change according to will.
As an interesting side note, the modern Rider-Waite Tarot deck was designed by Brother Arthur Edward Waite, himself a Mason.
But let's get to the larger issue.
Many objected to the image because of the gesture: one hand pointing upward and one downward. They immediately associated it with something sinister, claiming it represented "devil worship" or ideas foreign to Masonry.
In my opinion, they were mistaken on both counts.
The gesture represents the Hermetic principle known as the Law of Correspondence: "As Above, So Below."
At its core, this principle teaches that there is harmony between different planes of existence—the physical, mental, and spiritual. It suggests that the macrocosm is reflected in the microcosm; that the greater universe is mirrored within the individual.
Think of Leonardo da Vinci's Vitruvian Man: humanity as a miniature reflection of the cosmos.
Yet some immediately dismiss this concept as evil.
Frankly, I find that reaction more troubling than the concept itself.
Because if you attend church regularly, you've almost certainly repeated this same idea.
Consider the words of Christ in Matthew 6:9–10:
"Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven."
On earth as it is in heaven.
That sounds remarkably familiar, doesn't it?
The principle isn't foreign. It's simply being expressed through a different symbolic language.
And where might we find similar ideas within Masonry?
In several places.
Take a moment to consider the symbolism present in your Lodge. While Lodges vary slightly from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, the fundamental structure remains largely the same.
For example, in Missouri, the three lesser lights are arranged differently than they are in Kansas. Personally, I have my preferences. But regardless of the jurisdiction, we encounter the pillars, the globes, the cardinal directions, and countless other symbols that point toward deeper truths.
How often do we stop and truly examine what those symbols are trying to teach us?
The globes resting atop the pillars represent far more than decoration. They remind us of both the celestial and terrestrial realms. The heavens above. The world below.
As above, so below.
Likewise, consider one of Masonry's central teachings: taking the rough ashlar and transforming it into a perfect ashlar fit for the Master's use.
What is that if not an outward representation of an inward process?
We labor upon the stone without to improve the temple within.
The Law of Correspondence teaches that the macrocosm is mirrored in the microcosm. Masonry teaches us to shape the external symbol as a means of transforming the internal reality.
The parallels are difficult to ignore.
Now, you don't have to agree with me.
I'm perfectly comfortable with that.
What I am asking is that we question. That we investigate. That we ask ourselves why we disagree rather than simply reacting to a symbol, a word, or an unfamiliar idea.
I certainly don't know everything. Not even close.
But I do know this:
The moment we stop questioning, we stop growing.
The moment we stop seeking light, we begin drifting back into stagnation.
And stagnation, my Brothers, has a smell all its own.
I love you and may we govern ourselves accordingly
