The Meaning of the Hour Glass
by Harold Meij
 The Hour glass is mentioned in the Third degree lecture,
where it is explained that it is an emblem of human life. It symbolizes
the eternal passage of time, the sand slipping away until there is no
more, and therefore a continual reminder that life is finite, and that
therefore we should make the most of it while we can. However, the hour
glass is also used in other ways. With its two containers, the hour glass
is an analogy between the upper and the lower, and the need to turn the
hour glass from top to bottom at times to continue the process symbolizes
the continual cycle between life and death, heaven and earth. However, if
no action is taken, the sand can only flow one way. This symbolizes our
need to reverse, at times, our attitudes and actions for continuity, or we
shall always be drawn to one side - the base. This symbolism is also seen
in the Temperance card of the Tarot. One part of the hour glass is always
full, the other empty and this cycle of emptiness and fullness follow each
other - just like in life, where joy and sadness for example often follow
each other in cycles. It is also interesting to note that the ascetics St.
Ambrose (Patron saint of learning) and St. Magdalene (the first to see
Jesus after the resurrection) are each depicted with an hour glass. In
European lodges, the chamber of reflection where the candidate is placed
prior to initiation, has an hour glass for the candidate to reflect
on.
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