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Candles or Bulbs

Should the lesser lights be...

  • Candles

    Votes: 59 67.8%

  • Light Bulbs

    Votes: 28 32.2%
  • Total voters
    87
JohnnyFlotsam

JohnnyFlotsam

Premium Member
Frater Cliff Porter said:
Fire has vibration and power that is not found in the bulb. The act of lighting them and attending the altar is a solemn and beautiful act when done correctly. We use an acolytes wand to light the three lesser and the flame is ignited in the East and carried to the three lesser lights.

The flame is that thing by which changes in operative alchemy occur. Heat is required for transmutation. We also find water present in the first penalty, air in the second, and fire in the third. The earth is found in the chalk, charcoal and clay.

Lodge is not social hour, its not minutes, its not charity. Its hard labor in speculative transformation of a man's soul. It carves the foundation of his material existence so that he can stand transformed before the Great White Throne. Candles were not an accident.
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It is genuinely refreshing to see such eloquence and clarity about what our "work" really is, Brother Porter. Thank you for that. :14:
 
T

Timothy Fleischer

Registered User
Brothers,

My Lodge uses the S&C bulbs.

I have attended one lodge that uses candles: University Lodge in Austin, Texas in an historic old building there. I was very impressed with the "lighting of the candles" at the opening of the lodge. Much better than tapping the bulb to make sure it turns on all the way.
 
tom268

tom268

Registered User
mark! said:
But, as also mentioned, some of our elderly brothers don't walk to straight and strong any more, would be an issue if one was knocked over.
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Well, I don't know, how lights are used in your ritual. In the ritual I know, candles are lit, after all brothers sat down, or are in positions where no brothers walk. At least in craft lodge.

I never saw anyone going up in flames and never heard about such an event in the history. I knocked over candles myself, but it only causes wax stain on the carpet. Candle flames are only dangerous when left alone. ... Unless you meet in a gas factory.

Candles in the temple should not be atmospheric decoration, but they are part of the ritual. They are used in fixed positions, and all of these positions are focus points of the attention. To run into them unintentionally is highly unlikely. Or how often are your lightbulbs ran down and splitter on the floor?

The ritual is usually a very well controled time, no running around, no groups standing around and talking, so the danger for the candles should be minimum. The costs for necessary insurances can be the only argument I see here. We in Germany need a fire insurance with or without candles, so it is no argument here.
 
Frater Cliff Porter

Frater Cliff Porter

Premium Member
I am not certain that a falling candle is any more dangerous than hot exploding glass.

That being said, we have knocked over a candle and nothing happened. It was out before it hit. We cleaned up a little wax. No big deal.

I would be curious to know if any lodge has ever actually burned down from a candle, just like a lodge sued for a Brother drinking at lodge and driving home.

Both, I believe, are Masonic myths.

We should drink and have candles. We are grown men and we can make good choices. If you can't handle a tiny candle or a class of wine, bet the heck out of Masonry please.
 
Benton

Benton

Premium Member
I don't know about lodges, but I do know about a local Catholic Church that burned down a few years ago when some of the prayer candles that were lit were knocked down. :p

Of course, that's the only case I've ever heard of any building burning down because of candles. I would love to seem them make a come back. Something about candle light is special.
 
tom268

tom268

Registered User
I ask myself the same thing. A bunch of adult men, most of them sitting. We are not talking about a dancefloor here, aren't we?
 
Michaelstedman81

Michaelstedman81

Premium Member
I really would like to use the candles at times. I haven't seen any candles used except for when I was going through the Scottish Rite, but I would really like to see how it looks in my local lodge. I do however, really like the bulbs with the Square and Compasses...lol In fact, I would like to have one or two to have at the house to just keep. Anyone know where to get those and about how much they are?
 
T

tomasball

Premium Member
I would favor the candles you see in some churches: not wax, but a candle-shaped lamp filled with as sort of oil. Burns like a candle, but no drips.
 
Brent Heilman

Brent Heilman

Premium Member
I asked at my lodge to see why we don't use candles and I was told it had to do with fire regulations. It would be something I want to see at some point. For now I will just say I like the bulbs.

Sent from my iPhone using Freemasonry
 
Ashlar

Ashlar

Registered User
Bulbs . Yes we are full grown men and should be trusted to use candles but we can not skirt the law , and local fire codes forbid us in using candles/open flames UNLESS we have a sprinkler system in my town/county . There is no way around it .
 
J

Jacob Johnson

Registered User
I'd really like to see a degree with candles sometime. I always thought the refillable oil candles would be a great idea. I'm not too big a fan of the S&C lightbulbs.
 
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