Greetings Brethren All.

This is my first post so please be gentle with me.

I participated in the raising of a fellow brother today. During the ceremony, I was struck by something in the SW's instruction to the candidate. It was something that I never took much note of before. The SW mentions that in KST the different classes of workmen wore their aprons differently. Then he went on to state (this is the thing that caught my attention) that this custom has become obsolete.

I asked several brothers why this would be mentioned as most such references have some symbolic purpose, but no one could shed any light on this point. I decided to do a little research and here I am.

Does anyone have any knowledge on this point of minutiae or point me in the proper direction to become more enlightened? Thank you for your replies and kind guidance.

Ken Shotwell, Sr Deacon
Arlington Lodge # 129
Grand Lodge of Free & Accepted Masons of Washington

Brother Ken

Traditionally in some lodges the EA wears an apron that has a triangular flap turned up so that it appears as a triangle (of spirit) above a square (of matter). In the MM degree the flap is turned down to indicate that spirit has descended in the persona of the MM

Cheers

Russell

In our Nederlandic [ SA ] working there are differences

1st > flap turned UP and IN
2nd > flap UP
3rd > flap DOWN

I shall not go into the reasons as this is not the place but the messages inplied are obvious
FBW

However, none of this is relevant in "British" based Freemasonry. THeir aprons are different

Different---how?

In New Zealand andUGLE, our aprons are as follows

White lambskin or some authorised alternative,approx. 375mm wide,310mm deep with a triangular flap or fall approx 15mm deep at its point.

The Apron of an Installed Masteris lined with sky-blue and edged with sky-blue ribbon, 15mm wide on the upper edge, 35mm wide on theother edges of the fall and 50mm wide on the other edges of the apron.The tassels are of silverplated chain or silver bullion suspended from a sky-blue ribbon 50mm wide. The badgeof rank consists of threelevels or taus, one on the flap and two near the cornrs of the apron, of silver or metal silvered.

The apron of a Master Mason is lined, edged and tasselled like that of the Installed Master, and three sky-blue rosetted are worn instead of the three levels or taus.

The apron of a Fellowcraft has no lining, edges or tassels and bears two sky-blue rosettes near the lower cornersof the apron and has white strings.

The apron of an Entered Apprentice is without ornament and has white strings

Same as ours in Nederlandic Rite

kenshotwell wrote:

Greetings Brethren All.

This is my first post so please be gentle with me.

I participated in the raising of a fellow brother today. During the ceremony, I was struck by something in the SW's instruction to the candidate. It was something that I never took much note of before. The SW mentions that in KST the different classes of workmen wore their aprons differently. Then he went on to state (this is the thing that caught my attention) that this custom has become obsolete.

I asked several brothers why this would be mentioned as most such references have some symbolic purpose, but no one could shed any light on this point. I decided to do a little research and here I am.

Does anyone have any knowledge on this point of minutiae or point me in the proper direction to become more enlightened? Thank you for your replies and kind guidance.

Ken Shotwell, Sr Deacon
Arlington Lodge # 129
Grand Lodge of Free & Accepted Masons of Washington

Hi,

I will begin by saying that, in this posting, I am only conjecturing in regard to the question you ask. I do not say “I am right” and I do not try, in any way, to “persuade” … I am just (no matter how much the grammar might sometimes seem to indicate otherwise) simply putting “points for consideration”.

I am conscious of the fact that every word and every action in Freemasonry has more than several meanings, and I have tried, whilst showing perceived basic relationships, to keep the reply “non-convoluted”.

My conjecture comes from my impressions of traditional (ancient) Freemasonry, and in response to my own questioning as to what it tries to teach me ….

When the Candidate knocks upon the door of Freemasonry, he, symbolically, seeks entry into a completely new way of life; a way of life in which the selfish material attractions which have, until this point, controlled his life and existence are shown to be “lusting after that which is transient”.

The Candidate is now in a situation wherein his heart has dictated to him that the very “truths” by which he has lived his life thus far have been “shadow truths”, clouded by material self-interest, and, as such, he is now at the stage where, to progress, he knows he requires to study, and (as much as he can) put into practice, and learn to live, in every practice of his own life, the constant truth of selfless spirituality.

This is the reason, I believe, for it being forbidden (at least “officially”) for Freemasons to do anything to “persuade” a non-mason to seek admittance to the mysteries and privileges of Freemasonry …

The “calling” to Freemasonry which does not come wholly from the petitions of the Candidate’s own heart, I believe Freemasonry teaches us, ceases to be a “pure” calling to Freemasonry. It is, at best, tainted, and, at worst, corrupted (i.e. loyalty debt to those who so persuaded the Candidate or, perhaps, attending Lodge meetings, not to learn or appropriately contribute, but so as not to betray and obligation felt to the persuader/s, or even the seeking of material –particularly financial- advancement)..

Ideally, then, the Candidate should be “prompted to solicit those privileges by … serviceable to your fellow creatures” (D1).

And, I believe, it is because this has been accepted , that the apron is white (symbolically representing purity of heart in the Candidate), and of lambskin (symbolically to represent the innocence with which the Candidate undertakes to make this Masonic journey, without protest prevarication, and open to instruction).

The Candidate enters the Lodge at the NW side, the side symbolising darkness when the sun has set.

This is because the sun apparently rises in the E, and journeys, via the South, reaching its highest point there, and then goes on to its setting in the W.

This is also related to the tradition that non-baptized people were only to be buried in the North part of the cemetery –where the sun does not shine, and from whence, they would not be able to witness the Coming of the Lord).

Therefore, entering from the N part of the Lodge (l. f. first …), the Candidate begins his symbolic journey from the darkness of the profane world into the Light of Freemasonry

In D1, the flap of the apron (which, in the Scottish Rite is semi-circular, and, in other rites, triangular) is worn “up”, above the square part.

In occult tradition, the square is a symbol of the material/masculine aspects of existence (its four sides representing the material elements of Fire, Water, Earth, and Air), and the triangle is symbolic of the spiritual/feminine aspects of existence (the three aspects of the individual which Freud termed id, ego, and super-ego).

The apron itself, is, I understand, symbolically, the “Masonic body” of the Candidate, allegorical of the situation in which, at his birth into the neutral world, his soul clothed itself with a fitting body in order to experience physical existence.

So, just as the soul did, the Candidate (and every mason) “takes on” his superior Masonic body every time he enters the Lodge –the floor of which represents his “life”- in his endeavour to “erect a superstructure, perfect in all its parts, and honourable to the builder”.

(The “builder”, here, incidentally, is not, as might, at first, be supposed the GAOTU, but, rather, the Candidate himself –hence the “may you” which precedes the last quoted statement-. Further, I believe this to be doubly evinced by the fact that “builder” is not capitalised, and also that TGAOTU is just that … and “A” … and A’s don’t build.)

The apron with its flap up symbolises, I understand, the fact that, although the Candidate is undoubtedly a being of both physical and spiritual aspects, at this point, the spiritual aspect, as it were, “hovers above”, and is unintegrated with, the spiritual aspect.

(It is for the same reason, I believe, that the S. is placed above both C. points in this Degree … the S. representing the material aspect, “hiding” the points of the C., symbolically representing the spiritual aspect, of the Candidate’s being.)

In D2, in the Scottish Rite, the flap is dropped down, and slowed to rest over the square part of the apron, but, also, the square part of the apron is folded W to E (back to the source, as the sun sets in the W and comes back to in the E).

I understand the traditional teachings of Freemasonry to be indicating here, firstly that the light of spirituality has “begun to dawn” “over” –overlay- the darkness of materialism and ignorance.

The folding of the square part, forming a small triangle under the flap, I believe that this is to symbolise the progression of the Candidate’s advancement of spiritual over material has now even begun to bring a transformation of his physical life, and its direction, from W back to E is also a symbol of the symbolic journey every Freemason takes from his first sincere entry into a Lodge.

(The fact that the “progression” has only “begun to bring …” is symbolised again in this D by the fact that only one of the points of the C. is now revealed from under the S. … the C. themselves, are “beginning to be revealed”, and they, too, thus represent the spiritual aspect of the Candidate’s life.)

In D3, the apron is, in the Scottish Rite, worn “normally” (although I understand that, in some other rites, it is folded at both corners, so as to represent the c. of the Candidate, into which he is symbolically laid.

The practice in the Scottish Rite, I believe is that the apron be worn, in this D as “intended” –i.e without the imperfections of it having been awkwardly placed thus in D1 or folded in D”-.

The reason for this, I believe is that the Candidate, having studiously and sincerely reached this stage of proficiency and perfection, his “Masonic body” should “hang naturally”, as he is now perfectly prepared to stand before He whom we all must come before when called upon to render our own account of our lives and actions.

Both points of the C. now being exposed above the points of the S, I believe to symbolically represent the fact that the Candidate, himself has been exposed to the revelation that he is a being of dual aspects, but that the one aspect, ultimately, is “superior” to the other.

He being, now, in a position wherein his spiritual aspect has predominance and has been properly trained and activated, his apron, his Masonic body “hangs easily” on him.

P.S..

(As to what is a “spiritual life”, I reminded that the positions of the Candidates h, at the altar, with regard to the VSL in D1 indicate that the Candidate will “support” tenets and instructions the VSL –whatever it may be- and that his future actions will be “based upon” the same tenets.

In D2, the Candidate’s one h. is held up (seeking support in his experiencing of his quest?), whereas the other, for the same reason as above, rests on the VSL.

In D3, both h’s placed as they are to indicate that the MM is now a good man made both level and perfect, and that, henceforth all his experience and actions will be in line with the VSL.

These three premises, above, are based on what has come to be my understanding of the symbolic distinction between the L and R “sides” of a man, the L being the “experiencing/passive” side, and the R being the “moving, based on that experience/active” side.)

As I said earlier, it is not mine to indoctrinate, but, rather, to inform of some insights I have been privileged to obtain through Freemasonry. These points are placed merely for your consideration and you are free to discard, or further question, any which do not “ring true” with yourself and your heart.

Please be assured, however, that I do not make the previous statement out of “indifference” (far be it from me any such intention), but, rather, from a point of being acutely conscious of both my own “imperfections” and of your “innate right to choose what is right for your own heart”.

With best fraternal wishes

William Devlin
Mark Master Mason and
Inner Guard
Lodge Woodhall St Johns
Numbering “305” in the roll of the Grand Lodge of Scotland

EA flap up
FC flap down

I am yet a FC, but have of course seen MM aprons....flap down and some addtional blue ornament. (will not describe here) but this link shows the same; http://www.masonicexchange.com/Images/Products/RG100474LG.jpg

I was a new FC at that when I posted.....
Now I"m a new MM (one month)

What whdevo posted is beautiful indeed. Thank you.


_________________
Darylee, 3°; (I am a women in Ohio, USA)
My posts are my personal opinions and not of my Masonic Loge, Grandlodge or any other Masonic jurisdiction. American Co-Masonry; The American Federation of Human Rights: http://www.co-masonry.org/