Katabasis in the Masonic Blue Lodge Degrees.
Abyssus Abyssum Invocat. Abyss calls upon Abyss. From the chamber of reflection to the Hiramic Legend, the three degrees enact an ancient pattern of ritual descent, ordeal, and rebirth that transcends mere moral allegory…
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On self-knowledge, initiation, and the degrees of the Craft.
Above the porch of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi were inscribed the words: Know Thyself — perhaps the oldest and most succinct description of the purpose of Freemasonry…
Continue reading →Տէր Ողորմեա · Lord, Have Mercy · A traditional Armenian penitential hymn.
A profound and meditative rendition of the traditional Armenian penitential hymn performed by Filip Holm. This sacred chant is a cornerstone of Armenian liturgical music — solemn, monodic, and deeply reverent, building through repetition toward a contemplative atmosphere of divine mercy, light, and salvation…
Continue reading →A close reading of Psalm 133 in the Entered Apprentice initiation.
The almost common, and accepted reading of Psalm 133 is that it is a psalm about unity. But clinging to that idea tends to color everything that follows in its light — and to reduce the psalm to its opening line is to fall into exactly the self-deception that initiatory riddles are designed to expose…
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