REMOVED OF ALL MINERALS AND METALS
“And you shall build there an altar to the Lord your God…”
Deut. 27:5
Candidates for degrees in Freemasonry must enter a Masonic lodge without any metallic substance on their person. They are also instructed that King Solomon’s Temple was erected without the aid of any iron or metal tools.
Over time they learn about the masonic importance of the biblical character Tubal-cain, who is described in the book of Genesis as the first craftsman of metals. Explanations on each of these topics are provided during the ceremonies, but those explanations are merely preliminary to the deeper meanings, which are veiled in the mysteries of the Office that each candidate must explore for himself.
If the science of alchemy can be said to be concerned with the transformation of substances and elements (i.e. lead into Masonic gold), then the philosophy of alchemy can be said to be similarly concerned with the transformation of men. from non-spiritual beings to spiritual beings.
As such, the importance of alchemy to Freemasons is not so much the substantive alchemical philosophy as what that substantive philosophy actually symbolizes. It is not enough to simply understand what change symbolizes. It is much more important to understand that it symbolizes the need to learn to change and how to make the necessary changes.
Freemasonry selects tools of architecture, or tools of iron to teach wise and serious truths. The plumb line, level and square are implements used for construction and, together with the other iron tools selected by the Craft, teach the candidate what and how to transform from a non-spiritual being to a spiritual being.
For example, the plumb line advises us to walk upright before God, which means that we must learn and follow His laws, which include the laws of Nature. The level teaches us that we are walking a path that will eventually lead us to a world beyond this material existence, a place from whose port no traveler returns. In this way we are taught that something is expected of us; something more than living a life full of luxury and indolence. The square symbolizes justice, equality and truth and thus teaches the importance of acting fairly towards all men at all times.
Dispossession further recognizes the need to get rid of the resulting impurities that adherence to the material side of life inflicts on the soul of man. Freemasonry seeks to provide the candidate with the necessary tools so that his material life is consistent with his spiritual life. God never intended for man to select one over the other, to choose to live in the world or in the spirit. Rather, the Great Architect intended that all men should live a spiritual life in the body and environment in which Nature placed them.
Your universe is created by the thoughts and feelings that you experience in your daily life. This is the great lesson of alchemy and one of the central pieces of the ancient mysteries that Freemasonry encompasses. If you think and feel virtuously, you attract virtuous things into your life. If you allow negative thoughts and feelings to permeate your being, you will attract negative things. Freemasonry teaches us to contemplate the plumb line, the level and the square, as well as the other tools of architecture, which we use to build good thoughts and to build excellent feelings. When those lessons are learned, the Mason becomes everything he wants to be, and even more.
This and other Masonic authors have written extensively on Masonry’s relationship to the science and philosophy of alchemy. Indeed, if one lifts the veil of the Masonic mysteries high enough, one will see beneath it an alchemical formula that is essential to allegories of the Third Degree. The alchemical meaning of stripping a person of all metallic substances, as symbolized in Masonry, is that it prepares the candidate to become a new man. Just as purification or baptism symbolizes the culmination of man’s commitment to spiritual renewal, so also the casting off of metallic substances symbolizes man’s readiness to learn and be reborn.
The lodge room is the laboratory of Freemasonry, the place where experiments in brotherhood are ultimately transformed into creations of social love. In the lodge room, one Mason brother listens to the worries and concerns of another Mason brother and then works to help alleviate those conditions. The thoughts and feelings generated by that encounter are transferred to matters outside the lodge. Nursing homes are springing up, eye foundations are springing up, clinics are springing up all over the world to help the mute, and hospitals abound everywhere to care for injured children.
But, there is a personal responsibility associated with becoming all that you want to become. First of all, a Mason must learn patience: nothing happens overnight. Second, a Mason must employ perseverance on a daily basis. It is of little use to think and behave virtuously for one day and then behave badly for the next few days. Commitment to excellence of thought and emotion is a lifelong commitment. Third, a Mason must place his brother before himself, because thinking and feeling selfishly will result in attracting only those people who think and feel similarly. If you want to attract abundance, you must give abundantly. Finally, a Mason needs to familiarize himself with the true meaning of the word love. It begins with a love for God, being thankful for him, his creations and his gift of life. It gives way to self-love and then culminates in loving other human beings as deeply as one loves oneself.
Thus, transforming our material lives into equally spiritual lives is the great work of Freemasonry. It begins with stripping away all the minerals and metals, that baggage in our lives that we accumulated before Masonic thought and Masonic emotion were introduced to us. As Shakespeare has said, “Think well, act well, and live well.” If you do, you will have discovered the true essence of Freemasonry.