3rd Degree: Master Mason

Transcripts, Chapter Markers and Show Notes for all episodes are available from our website - WayOfTheHermit.com.
In this podcast, the significance of symbols in religious expression is explored, with the assertion that all language is symbolic and that the true objects of religion are unseen. The discussion acknowledges that symbols are often confused with the things they represent, and it is suggested that God, as a concept, is a symbol because the divine cannot be fully expressed or seen by humans.
The conversation then delves into Pike's critical view of politics and popular culture, drawing parallels between his observations and contemporary times. The cyclical nature of human behavior and the recurrence of myths in society are discussed, with a focus on the idea that understanding the darker aspects of human nature can lead to societal improvement.
Philosophical problems such as the 47th Problem of Euclid, the Squaring of the Circle, and the Philosopher's Stone are examined as spiritual and alchemical processes of self-transformation. The concept of the Fall of Man is interpreted as the moment of birth into the material world and the subsequent realization of separateness, with the symbolism of Lucifer and the Devil representing the power of liberty and the misuse of free will, respectively.
The Masonic legend of Hiram Abiff is discussed as an initiation process symbolizing individuation and sacrifice. The Tracing Board of the Master Mason Degree is analyzed, with its symbols including the coffin, the working tools of the degree, and the sprig of Acacia, which is traditionally interpreted as symbolizing immortality.
The four worlds of Kabbalah—Atziluth, Briah, Yetzirah, and Assiah—are explained, along with the Tree of Life diagram and its ten Sephiroth. The historical origins of Kabbalah and the relationship between the Tree of Life and the tetractys are touched upon. The next episode is set to explore the Scottish Rite system and the degree of the Secret Master.
This series on the Scottish Rite uses the following primary sources (which you are encouraged to read as well):

• Albert Pike's Morals and Dogma: Annotated Edition
• Scottish Rite Ritual Monitor & Guide
• A Bridge to Light

Diagrams:

• Master Mason Tracing Board
• Closeup of Tracing Board Epitaph Reversed
• Masonic Cipher Key
• Hebrew Alphabet Chart

Chapters:

• 01:14 Introduction
• 03:39 Symbols
• 06:49 Popular Culture & Politics
• 12:20 Philosophical Problems
• 15:18 The Ancient Mysteries
• 19:56 Hiram Abiff
• 25:06 Kabbalah
• 28:56 Master Mason Tracing Board
• 32:11 Concluding Remarks

Links:

• The Cloud upon the Sanctuary (Eckartshausen - PDF)
• The History of Magic (Eliphas Levi - PDF)
• A Philosophical Background for Masonic Symbolism (“Heredom” - W. Kirk MacNulty)
• Alchemically Stoned - The Psychedelic Secret of Freemasonry (Book by P. D. Newman)
• Egyptian Numerology: The Pythagorean Triangle and Its Esoteric Meaning (PDF)
• Esoteric Number Theory pt.1 ~ The Secret Nature of Numbers
• The Lodge Room Floor