“At my initiation I was taught to be cautious, but with you I will either letter it or syllable it.”
Brethren, the meaning of this phrase from the presentation of the secrets during the EA degree is self-explanatory. Essentially, the new brother is acknowledging that he will protect the secret word of the degree – just one of the demands repeatedly made of him throughout the degrees to protect the secrets of Freemasonry.
But what do these demands mean in a world where anyone can find everything they want to know about Freemasonry from books and the Internet. What secrets is the brother actually protecting when all of those so-called secrets are already out there for everyone to see? What’s the point of the oaths?
Once upon a time it was so much easier to protect the words and modes of recognition, but I think the “secret” we’re protecting today is something much more important… our personal integrity. Yes, those other secrets are readily available to anyone who wants them, but today the test for each brother is to prove to himself that he can still stay true to his word, and maintain the dignity of Freemasonry, in the face of this overwhelming avalanche of information.
The true “secrets” of Freemasonry are not the words, etc., but what they mean to us as Masons, and our willingness to guard that – so that it doesn’t become tainted – is the true purpose of the demand for vigilance.
Something to Ponder is a little feature I pen for my lodge notice each month. Each typically starts with a bit of the ritual to which I add some (hopefully) educational commentary.
eastwesttraveller 