It doesn’t matter how fast light travels, darkness is always there to meet it
I am very proud to say that my son, Cory Roberts, recently joined Portland Lodge 55 as an Entered Apprentice. Several days after his EA degree he began asking me questions about the ritual and its meanings. I must admit that it has been some years since I took out the EA tracing board, but every time that I do I’m amazed at the beauty and wisdom that is held within its sublime scene.
What first struck me was the black and white checkered floor. This floor represents our physical state of being, or rather the lower material element within us. These checkered floor tiles are all of equal dimension and are equally spaced between each other. This tells us that everything within our mundane world is split into two opposite aspects. Like the checkered floor within our blue lodges we see this power of opposites everywhere around us in the natural world and even within our own bodies… brain, lungs, kidneys, arms and legs all have opposites. In truth there is nothing earthly which with a bit of contemplation and clarity we cannot recognize its complementary opposite.
Some brothers might mistakenly think that we should endeavor to step only on the white tiles and avoid the black, but the answer to this is a resounding no. It is far beyond our power and ability to only step on the white tiles. The first real task of the mason seeking wisdom is to attempt to rise above this material dualism. In order to do this we must adjust our vision to see beyond the material, i.e. we must become masters of our lower nature and bodily tendencies. For example, when evil and despair dominate our environment the wise mason would recognize these as having the same educational values as that of a pleasant condition. Life is a hard teacher and if we are good masonic students it leads us from the material drudgery of the mundane to the spiritual value of true understanding.
Our ritual states that the black and white tiled floor is for the High Priest of the temple to walk upon. We should recognize that we are the High Priests of our bodies and that as we walk upon the black and white tiles of our existence, we must use the lessons learned to create within ourselves, that holy temple which, once properly constructed, is fit for the habitation of God.
When constructing the spiritual temple within ourselves, states the cabalist, it is to be supported by three great pillars…Wisdom, Strength and Beauty. Wisdom to construct the building; Strength to support the structure and Beauty to characterize its every aspect.
We must remember that it is both the light and the darkness which allows us to chip away at the rough edges of the ashlar in order to construct the Sactum Sanctorium within us. Only by traveling upon and then reflecting on the white and black tiles can we aspire to truly understand the Royal Secret of equilibrium.
I wish you well my brothers in the construction of your inner temple.
Larry Roberts 32° KCCH, Portland Valley Executive Director/Treasurer. Member of Modesto Lodge 206, Esoterika Lodge 227 and Research Lodge 198.