Can of Worms

Unfortunately, I have again neglected this blog for quite some time. In my defense, I do not have decent internet access here at my location in Afghanistan, although soon that excuse will evaporate as I will be home in a few weeks. Of course, I cannot blame my dearth of output on that factor alone, given the fact that I am a bit of a slacker by nature. However, as many of us do, I have started 2010 with a new resolve and hope to post a bit more frequently. To this end, I offer the following entry:

Can of Worms

In the lecture of the second degree, we are encouraged to make the study of the seven liberal arts and sciences a central part of our Masonic education. Additionally, if one is so inclined Freemasonry can become a gateway into the study of a wealth of esoteric topics which might otherwise escape notice.

In my opinion, this is one of the benefits of our Fraternity. By setting out on the quest for “more Light in Masonry” we may find ourselves open to new vistas of thought that previously were hidden from our view. While the ritual does not always explicitly point towards these things, it can certainly foster a sort of open mindedness to ideas we may never have considered previously. The mysteries of Freemasonry can become like an onion, and as we peel away the layers, we find ever more underneath. Thus the quest for Light becomes a lifelong pursuit, leading us down new and exciting paths along the way.

For me, the Craft has opened up the proverbial “can of worms” and the subjects that have attracted my interest keep multiplying. Thanks to my involvement in Freemasonry, I have become interested in topics ranging from alchemy to rosicrucianism to qabbalah to hermeticism to tarot, and everything in between. My bookshelves are beginning to groan under the weight of the numerous tomes that I have acquired in my quest for Light on these subjects. Sometimes I feel as if the Craft has caused such a great thirst for knowledge that I am trying to slake it by drinking from a fire hose! As a result of all of this, my life has been greatly enriched in a way that I never would have imagined when I first knocked on the Lodge door.

So mote it be!