Brotherhood and Freemasonry

1 – What is brotherhood and why is it so important?
2 – Is there room for improvement in Freemasonry when it comes to brotherhood?

According to The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition, brotherhood is:

“An association of men, such as a fraternity or union, united for common purposes.”

With a slight adjustment to the above, for this article the term brotherhood will refer to a union of men and women united for common purposes.

To the uninitiated outsider, the concepts of brotherhood and initiation can appear rather strange. Many people may think of Freemasonry as simply an exclusive dining, drinking, or business club who practice secret ceremonies occasionally. At this point we must ask ourselves:

Is this what Freemasonry has become to many members as well as non-members?

Do all lodges hold a dominant core of an initiated brotherhood acting in unity to carry out the plans of the Great Architect of the Universe?

Are there lodges where dining and drinking take priority over the essence of the initiatory process and important allegory contained within Freemasonry?

The questions above are for readers to ask themselves and discuss with others, and to stimulate ideas of how Freemasonry may be taken forwards to appeal to future generations.

There are many brotherhoods in the world, most of them aligned to make the world a better place.

Human nature being as it is, imperfection will sometimes appear in any group interaction – this is one of the reasons for the strict moral code every Freemason must follow.

Even when utmost effort is held to follow such morals, there will be times where ideas and actions fall short of the ideal.

This is life, and Freemasonry provides a strong network to offer guidance and support in smoothing out any rough edges as required – both personally and as a group.

True brotherhood is:

· Knowledge that you are a part of something greater than yourself
· A collective with a sum greater than the total of its parts
· Supporting and helping other brothers
· Helping to light the way for others
· Speaking and acting with unconditional love
· Choosing wise action over emotional reaction
· Knowing when to make a sacrifice to help others
· Alignment with a unified cause
· Acceptance without judgment
· Taking nothing personally
· Welcoming brothers with open arms and an open heart
· Seeing your individual part to play in a greater whole, and accepting it
· Not wanting credit or recognition for good deeds
· Service to humanity

“That which separates destroys truth and creates illusion; that which destroys separation creates freedom and unveils truth. True brotherhood is an attempt at a step in the latter direction.”

– Anon.

The mind with its intellect has influenced groups, governments, and brotherhoods for millennia, and has held us back from reaching a greater sense of wisdom and unity which should be available to us.

There is an opportunity to change this – the heart has the capability of transcending the limited vision and separative qualities of the mind, and it is here that the keys to true brotherhood may be unlocked.

A sharpened and illuminated mind combined with a loving and open heart are the traits of a Master Mason.

Are there situations in Freemasonry where brotherhood is sacrificed for personal ideas?

Are there different bodies of lodges who refuse to unite in the sense of true brotherhood purely because of a slight difference of opinions?

If the answer is yes, then things must change.

Are personal opinions and ideas much more important than Freemasonry attaining a status of universal brotherhood, where every Mason may work together in unison regardless of lodge affiliation?

Is this a naïve and impossible pipedream? Or is creating a unified Grand Lodge which unites all forms of Freemasonry, both traditional and metaverse based, an attainable goal to aim for?

Everything is possible if enough people align themselves with an immovable will to a specific intent. The question is, is the will there in enough Freemasons to make this happen, or would many stand against it?

Below is an extract of a course for the Square Academy currently being created by the author of this article:

The Ancient Mysteries of Initiation

There are three types of people in the world:

1 – Those who depend and rely on others over their own inner strength

2 – Those who are independent and try to do everything alone

3 – Those who understand the power of brotherhood, and work together with unity as a single force

Most of humanity falls into the first two categories, each with their own pros and cons. Both options are limited.

Option 3 describes the Brotherhoods of initiation who have worked and trained in silence on this planet for thousands of years – some visible, some less so. Freemasonry is one of them and has carried out an incredible job of making better citizens in the world, and working behind the scenes in making the world a brighter and safer place for all who live here.

Human nature is flawed. The process of initiation is designed to iron out these imperfections and help smooth the rough edges so the candidate’s inner Light may be allowed – and stimulated – to shine with greater brightness as he progresses.

There is always room for improvement in the world on global and individual levels. Regardless of how successful one is, every day there are opportunities for positive change within each of us.

Some people choose the path of self-improvement and strive daily to become a better person than when they woke up, while others prefer to resist change as much as possible.

The world provides constant challenges to test our strength and will to become a better person.

While it is true that some tests must be faced alone to bring out your true inner strength, it is equally true that working with others as a united brotherhood provides an additional support and power not available to the lone worker.

This is one of the keys which Freemasonry and other initiatory systems provide to the candidate.

So just what is initiation, and why are the details kept such a secret from non-initiates?

Traditionally, such information has been held closely by initiates with no way of outsiders getting hold of it.

However, over recent years, many teachings – both exoteric and esoteric – have been released to the public relating to Freemasonry and certain Western Esoteric systems.

But unless you know where to look for such information, it is still well hidden from view.

This course will provide teachings to both initiate and non-initiate alike related to the unfoldment of the candidate’s inner Light along the ancient process of initiation.

But just how ancient is this process, and what exactly is it?

Was Freemasonry the first society in the world to practice secret initiation ceremonies, or did other groups predate it? And if so, what do they have in common?

The internet is filled with proposed history relating to temples of initiation in ancient Egypt and Greece amongst others, so it won’t be repeated in this course.

Instead, you will find a more practical and current approach to provide information that may not necessarily be common knowledge to all Freemasons or non-Freemasons.

Initiation is far more than a single ceremony. It is also much more than symbols and allegory, although these play their crucial roles.

The light which can illuminate the mind and the heart of every man and woman is held within all of us.

It is through living as a good citizen in the world and serving humanity that initiation must be approached, so the greater Lights may be eventually revealed to the initiate as he progresses.