Message From the East

Worshipful Master's September 2023 Message


Brethren,

This morning, I noticed some of the leaves on my Aspen trees have already begun to turn yellow; a notification that summer is almost over. Colorado Masons recently received the sad news that MWB David Coverly has lost his fight with cancer. And Halloween decorations are already in the stores. On the other side of the coin, my wife and I now have a puppy in the house, my neighbors have just brought home a new baby and I’m starting another voyage around the sun. The wheel turns, the circle of life continues.

While fall can be considered a season of endings, in Freemasonry it is a sign of new beginnings.
Our period of darkness is drawing to a close and we will soon be back in Lodge, hopefully refreshed after our summer break and ready to enjoy another term of fun and fellowship. The fall calendar is filling up already with several educational lectures in the works, ritual work and before we know it, a new set of officers.

September also marks the beginning of the pomegranate harvest. In Freemasonry, the pomegranate is an emblem of the spiritual communion that binds Masons together during an initiation ceremony in the Lodge and gives life to what we may call “the fruit of Brotherhood”. The bitter, hard bark that conceals its delectable pulp represents the contrast between appearances and truth. The vivid crimson granules personify the brethren, whilst each chamber that contains those granules epitomizes a Masonic Lodge. According to the Books of Kings, the two molten brass pillars called Jachin and Boaz that stood at the porch-way entrance of King Solomon’s Temple in Jerusalem were engraved with pomegranates, symbolizing plenty.

Additionally, on the Autumn Equinox we will be halfway between the two St. Johns: John the Baptist and John the Evangelist in the solar year. We are back to the circumscribed centre. Equinox is the day when the whole world is equal in the realm of the solar system that we reside.

Let’s use this as a reminder to keep it on the level in our dealings with all humankind.

Fraternally,
Bro Andrew Smith, WM