This is really a response to Bro. Pierce and a continuation of our personal, conversational correspondence. What I am putting down, relates to my first published thesis on the Master's Word, i.e., " Much More Than A Word; A Way Of Life", The Phylaxis, vol, No. XVII, No. IV., Fourth Quarter, 1991. For any of you scholars who will be availing your selves of that available "Light", this is the unpublished prelude. Hopefully, it will encourage you to purchase the back issue from Phylaxis. Brother Pierce has just done that. He was self encouraged to to it, after reading my 3rd published thesis in the current issue of Phylaxis. GOFUHVIT!
Fifty years ago, I was drawing stone from the 200 year old rubble bluestone walls surrounding our 11 acre night pasture. We were laying-up a 12 foot fireplace wall in the 12 room mountain side cottage we were erecting.
On these slopes, the rocks are fractured quarry stone with squared sides and sharp edges. A mile below us in the river valley, the stones are cobbles that are rounded by water action.
I pulled out an unusual pelvic/heart shaped, well rounded bit of a boulder from the wall. It didn't belong on the hillside. It was evidently carried in from a distance. That at the time was not an issue to be considered. I was really interested in what piece of ancient horse or oxen drawn farm tool had made the 4 lineal gouge marks on its surface.
I occupy my time with seemingly useless knowledge. That is also why I am inspired to write about the Craft.
I lugged the treasure down to the farmer that we bought from. He had worked the land with draft horses. "Adriano! What kind of equipment made these stratch marks ?"
Adriano was from Italy and was simply educated in a one room school house. The foundation is still there.
He said to me in the local speak, "Warrant no equipment! War made by the hand oh man".
RIGHT!!! "Man". Hey! I may have been born in brooklyn but I do know a snow-job when I hear one.
Off I went to the Russian neighbor and asked him the same question. I told Alexander what Adriano said. He responded, "He's right".
My being of Polish/Lithuanian descent on my mother's side, I was made aware at an early age, of how Russians are not exactly forth coming with the truth.
So home I went, none the wiser but with my farm equipment scared field stone and I cemented it into the wall.
Several years later, my wife called out to me, "Here is the stone you found. It is illustrated in the book I am reading. It is a Celtic-Irish stone with Ogham script, fashioned into a pelvic shape to honor the mother Goddess. Ma-ha-ma-bona; the Mother of Heroes.
NOW DO I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION????
Several years later, I was writing and article for a Scottish magazine on, "The Symbiotic Relationship Between The Elder Faith And Christianity". While researching, I came across this line, "The Freemasons still practice the ancient rituals of the Druids." Hot digitty! Now, all I had to do, was to become a freemason for more light on the subject.
My deadline would not allow me to spare the time for the Masonic pursuit, so I published and was elected a Fellow of The Society of Antiquaries at the Royal museum of Scotland. Then I went into Freemasonry.
When I was given the Masters' Word, I already knew it but said nothing.
Ten (10) years later, I realized that the Craft preached that the "Word is Hebrew". That will never do, so I submitted a note to The American Lodge of Research and the Master was astounded. "How did you come up with this? The word has been lost for 400 to 600 years and you translated it? Can you write a scholarly work for publication? I want to print it right away."
He approvingly read what I submitted. He was a Law Professor at Columbia University.
So I sent it off to Phylaxis for a scoop first publication with The late Brother Joseph Walkes, who said that he was honored, since we were not in mutual recognition.
Three brothers in my Lodge attempted to have me expelled from the Craft but the grand Master sponsored me for the Royal Order of Scotland and the York Rite Sovereign College of North America, awarded me their gold honor Award for my thesis.
I ride a white horse and I shoot straight.
rrc
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