Bro. Dean Kennedy, co-creator of the podcast Masonic Central, was interviewed on Oct. 20 by the Canadian website Haligonia.ca at the B2B Expo in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
This is the third in a series of guest editorials by Masonic bloggers on the topic "Masonic Harmony, Unity and Discord." My thanks go out to Bro. Greg Stewart for this essay, and to all who are participating in this project. Are we Solomonic? By Greg Stewart, aka Masonic Traveler
What is Masonic Harmony?
In the tradition of Freemasonry, each of us undergoes a trial of initiation. In most modern traditions, that initiation illustrates the damage wrought at the blatant exhibition of unrestrained and unregulated passion. We witness first hand the results, which include reproach, shame, and death under the ever-watching eye of the Great Architect of the Universe. But the aspect of the initiation, ritual, and trials do not lead us to the wisdom of Solomon. We are not to be made perfect, nor capable of proclaiming our ability to be flawless. Rather, we are encouraged to find the means to bring us closer to that state, just as the man of whom we are said to be in emulation of. Still, as men, our passion can become unbridled, which reorients how we are perceived consequently effecting how our work is adjudged. Is this a fair means to assess by, or a result of the way in which the work was created?
No matter our position in seeking the divine, we in fact are not diefic. But, to seek that spark of our spirit, there must exist a degree of peace to quell the noise of our existence and harmonize with our surroundings. And, as above so too it follows below, if in a state of disharmony within our community there can be no means to connect with that divine resonance together as a community.
It is said that Solomon had that peace, and that Master Hiram practiced it, then so too is it incumbent for us, who are on this same philosophical path, to seek it.
Harmony, however, is difficult to achieve and necessitates a strong will to actualize. At times the interest of justice can seem to be ignored, while at others prudence may be forgotten. Even temperance is forsaken as a way to measure our tone. Further, we lack fortitude to weather the storms instead lashing out and asserting our individual will. To be harmonious requires discipline, which comes from dedicating ones self to the study of Masonry.
The act of being a Master Mason is not a rank title or privilege but a Solomonic-like mantle of self-discipline that necessitates our balance in polar opinion. In that balance we can achieve that harmonious state, and in that state can we then come closer to that divine perfection. The house of the great Architect requires that, and so too does the fraternity of its builders. And no matter the name of the order of builders, without harmony NO house of the adytum can be erected, let alone lived in. Not even by the Great Architect Himself.
So then, what is Masonic harmony? It is the peaceful construction of the Holy of Holies, not the admonition of how it should be built.
Brothers Greg Stewart of the blog Masonic Traveler and Dean Kennedy of the blog Freemason's Corner have been busy behind the scenes putting together a new Masonic podcast program and accompanying website called Masonic Central.
I was privileged to sit in and listen to their inaugural first official podcast presentation a couple of weeks ago. In that podcast, Bros. Greg and Dean interviewed Bro. Fred Milliken, also known as Squire Bentley.
This Sunday's podcast (Father's Day, June 15) will feature an interview with Bro. Tim Bryce, a well-known online Masonic writer and fellow pot-stirrer. Bro. Bryce's column From the Edge appears regularly on Bro. Stewart's FreemasonInformation site.
For more information on how tune into the 9 p.m. (ET) podcast every other Sunday, or to listen to the recording afterwards, check out the official Masonic Central website.
Here it is, the 18th installment of "We All Shine On," The Burning Taper's never-ending series of essays from online Freemasons and other readers of this blog. Today's is from Bro. Greg Stewart, also known as Masonic Traveler. Thanks for writing, Bro. Greg!
The title of this makes me think of the Moby song, "We are all made of Stars."
People they come together People they fall apart No one can stop us now 'Cause we are all made of stars
My name is Greg Stewart. I go by the moniker of Masonic Traveler. I post when I can to my blog of the same name at MasonicTraveler.com. I also edit and own a website called FreemasonInformation.com.
As you can probably guess, I am a Freemason. I fall by habitation under the Grand Lodge of California, where I live with my wife Diane and my two sons. I have been a Freemason now for 11 years, with varying degrees of activity and participation. When I became a Mason, I did not know anything of what the organization was about. I had a good friend who was one, and after a lot of conversations on the subject with him at work, I asked him that fateful question that we all come to: "...How do you join?"
For the record, I should probably state my affiliations and memberships. I am a 3rd degree Master Mason, raised at Burbank Lodge, No. 406. Today, I am an active member of Hollywood Masonic Lodge No. 355 in Tarzana, California. In that lodge I play several roles including its Communications Chairmen, Masonic Formation Officer, and Symbolism/Education instructor. Monthly I host in our lodge library a symbolism class that talks about and tries to put shape to the myriad of symbolic images and allegories that Masonry immerses us into. Doing this has given me a tremendous opportunity to think about and try to correlate them into a practical way to what their meanings are, but suffice it to say that I am still learning new ways to look at and interpret them.
I also am a 32nd Degree Scottish Rite Freemason in the Valley of Pasadena, in the Orient of California, and play a part in the 27th degree as the Prince of Mercy. Also, this year, I am the last in the line of the Consistory as the Captain of the Guard. Sadly, I don’t make many Rite meetings as they meet on Fridays, and with two adolescent boys, it's better time spent with them.
I have petitioned the York, but keep getting waylaid in my taking of the degrees. Most likely I will have that under my belt soon though. In some ways it feels like I'm collecting merit badges like the Boy Scouts, but I am genuinely interested in the varying allegories that that the different traditions have to teach.
Some other bits that would fit into this long bio is that I have memberships in "other" secret societies that are similar in tone to Freemasonry, I flirt with the idea of looking into the OTO, I have belonged to 5 brands of Christianity, schooled under one, baptized under another, and at this juncture find myself with more in common with United Unitarians than any other. The irony in all of this is that when I take the little social networking quizzes, invariably, I come out as a "Neo Pagan." Go figure. Lately I've found some resonance with Hinduism and have just been creeping into the pages of Theosophy.
My thoughts on Masonry are many, the most profound I think is that I see Freemasonry as a religion. I've argued with many on the net about it and will likely continue to. The position is a fair one in that I see Freemasonry as the practice of carrying forward a set of proscribed ritual that is meant to convey a particular message. Make special note here that this does NOT mean it is a faith, as each man (or woman) who comes to the fraternity should already have that part of himself taken care of. Simply, what we do we have done for centuries, and for that same period of time its been done in the near same way and for the same reason, which is fundamentally the definition of what religion means. But this is topic for another time and place....
Outside of freemasonry, and something I seem to cycle back into every few years is art. My background is in fine and digital art, as I went to college for it, and I have drawn and painted for most of my life. Embedded in this article are some of my visual creations for various projects or times. My passion was pastel on paper in which I have created some of my most visceral work. But, like moods, mine at the present has shifted from this as most of my attention is focused on Masonry. Still pulling from my artistry, I have applied my digital skills to assemble two Masonic Tracing Boards Presently I am working on the third.... If you want to see more of the art I've made, I have a website as a portfolio piece at GregoryStewart.com.
Needless to say masonry is a big part of my being, maybe because it is something I treat as a religion that I see it as such. I want to see Masonry restored to its former incarnation, in that I would love to see lodge rooms filled with men (and maybe one day women) who all have a passionate interest in community, specifically as it applies to brotherly love, relief, and truth. It's this part of me that has just recently started looking at ways to help some of the local charities here where I live, and that's the project in the wings.
Philosophically, I defer to Moby...
Growing in numbers Growing in speed Can't fight the future Can't fight what I see
People they come together People they fall apart No one can stop us now 'Cause we are all made of stars
Efforts of lovers Left in my mind I sing in the reaches We'll see what we find
People they come together People they fall apart No one can stop us now 'Cause we are all made of stars
Image 1: Bro. Greg Stewart Image 2: A street painting, chalk on pavement, shown at Absolut Chalk Fest 2005 titled "Birds." Winner of event for "Most Colorful" Image 3: Pastel on paper, framed, titled "Hell" Image 4: Digital composite titled "Mary"
To submit your own "This is Who I Am" essay, read this.
Bro. Dean Kennedy, co-creator of the podcast Masonic Central, was interviewed on Oct. 20 by the Canadian website Haligonia.ca at the B2B Expo in Halifax, Nova Scotia. 
This is the third in a series of guest editorials by Masonic bloggers on the topic "Masonic Harmony, Unity and Discord." My thanks go out to Bro. Greg Stewart for this essay, and to all who are participating in this project.
Brothers Greg Stewart of the blog Masonic Traveler and Dean Kennedy of the blog Freemason's Corner have been busy behind the scenes putting together a new Masonic podcast program and accompanying website called Masonic Central.
Here it is, the 18th installment of "We All Shine On," The Burning Taper's never-ending series of essays from online Freemasons and other readers of this blog. Today's is from Bro. Greg Stewart, also known as Masonic Traveler. Thanks for writing, Bro. Greg!
As you can probably guess, I am a Freemason. I fall by habitation under the Grand Lodge of California, where I live with my wife Diane and my two sons. I have been a Freemason now for 11 years, with varying degrees of activity and participation. When I became a Mason, I did not know anything of what the organization was about. I had a good friend who was one, and after a lot of conversations on the subject with him at work, I asked him that fateful question that we all come to: "...How do you join?" 
I also am a 32nd Degree Scottish Rite Freemason in the Valley of Pasadena, in the Orient of California, and play a part in the 27th degree as the Prince of Mercy. Also, this year, I am the last in the line of the Consistory as the Captain of the Guard. Sadly, I don’t make many Rite meetings as they meet on Fridays, and with two adolescent boys, it's better time spent with them.
Needless to say masonry is a big part of my being, maybe because it is something I treat as a religion that I see it as such. I want to see Masonry restored to its former incarnation, in that I would love to see lodge rooms filled with men (and maybe one day women) who all have a passionate interest in community, specifically as it applies to brotherly love, relief, and truth. It's this part of me that has just recently started looking at ways to help some of the local charities here where I live, and that's the project in the wings. 
