In Search of More Light

So I hit a milestone in my life last night, and I'm pretty proud of it.

Yours Truly was inducted into the Freemasons.

I've always thought it'd be cool to join the Masons, ever since I was in my early 20s.  A secret society, shrouded in legend, dating back to the Middle Ages.  A seemingly endless network that can be tapped into for job opportunities (something incredibly appealing for a young man just starting out on his own.)  A social group dedicated to helping each other and the greater community?  What's not to like?

See?

A Who's Who of famous people throughout history who can claim membership in their ranks:  Washington (most of the Founding Fathers, for that matter), great intellectuals and writers like Voltaire, Kipling, Twain, and Doyle, musicians like Mozart and Louis Armstrong, past presidents from Jackson to both Roosevelts, celebrities like John Wayne and Shaq-

. . .okay, maybe Shaq shouldn't be included on this list, but the dude is a Freemason.

And now, so am I.

I expressed interest in joining the Freemasons back in April, when the topic of Freemasonry was brought up by my buddy, Erik, who himself is a Master Mason and member of Midland's local lodge.  I had always assumed, like many people do, that you have to be invited into Freemasonry by another Mason, but this, as it turns out, is completely untrue.  Masons are forbidden to recruit new members, as they want good men to approach the craft on their own accord.  Had I known this a decade ago I would've petitioned to join in my 20s, but it probably worked out for the best:  I wasn't ready for the gravity of Masonry back then, but I definitely am now.

The entrance to Centre Lodge #273

Anyway, Erik hooked me up with a petition to join the local lodge, but unfortunately due to Masonic lodges 'going dark' for the summer months, I wasn't able to go in for my interview until late July.  This was a little frustrating, as I was rearin' to start the process, having waited for so long to join this order, but I was able to distract myself somewhat with all the frickin' shit we had going on throughout the summer.

When I finally had my interview, in early August, it was with three of the Lodge's top officers, and was held at Midland's Center Lodge #273, located downtown in the Larkin building on Main Street.  Accessible from a side street, the discreet door inside leads to an old elevator from the '30s or so, which takes you up to the third floor, where the Lodge has a 99-year lease.

Heading up the archaic elevator on the way up to the Lodge.

Kris came with me to the interview, per tradition, so that they could ascertain my seriousness and make sure she was cool with all the obligations I'd be undertaking.  After my interview, the next time the Lodge met for a business meeting - in our case, the first Thursday of everything month - the assembled body voted on my entrance into the Lodge, and it was accepted.

This elevator is pretty terrifying.  You constantly feel like the cable's gonna snap.

Granted, I'm skimming over a lot, because there's a lot I'm not allowed to divulge to the public, but long story short I went in for my induction ceremony, called a Degree, last night.  The first of the three levels of Masonry is the Entered Apprentice, which I underwent in a traditional ceremony that is, in itself, hundreds of years old.  It's pretty awe-inspiring to know that heavyweights like George Washington, Davy Crockett, and Amadeus Mozart underwent the same ceremony when they themselves became Masons.

Drinks with the guys at Whichcraft to celebrate.

So now I'm a Freemason, and I have to study up on my lore and implementation of the material I was taught last night in order to prove my proficiency of the E.A. degree before I can advance on to the second degree, the Fellowcraft.  My goal is to obtain the order's highest degree - Master Mason - by Christmas, but that's a stretch.  Scheduling is a huge issue right now, so that's all going to depend on how readily the Lodge can perform the ceremonies, what with all the other Thursdays in the month filling up fast.

Regardless, I'm beyond excited to be undertaking this journey, and, not surprisingly, I decided to celebrate this milestone in my life by purchasing my usual self-congratulatory token of achievement:  a sword.

When I got married, I bought a sword (a ceremonial piece from the Congo.)  When I became a father, I bought a Tuareg takuba from Mali.  When I became a teacher, it was a Maintz pattern Roman gladius.  And now, that I'm a Mason, I bought this:

The Sword of the Freemasons, from the legendary sword masters at Marto, in Toledo, Spain (you can find the exact product here.)  If you'll recall, I personally visited Toledo back in 2013, and personally purchased a sword from there on my last trip to Spain.  This was a pretty cool coincidence, indeed. 

Unfortunately, the original product I ordered (at left) had some cosmetic flaws in it, so I had to order a second one (at right) before I was 100% satisfied.  This replacement was perfect, so I shipped the other one back and hung the new one in the Captain's Quarters in a place of honor.

(You can imagine how happy Kris was with another sword hanging in the house. . .)

- Brian