the symbolism of ladders
CHAPTER XXI
part II - Symbolism and the Teachings of Freemasonry
THE SQUARE AND COMPASSES
W.
M. Don Falconer PM, PDGDC
In most of the Ancient
Mysteries the ladder was a symbol of progressive advancement.
Jacob’s ladder is an important
symbol in freemasonry. Jacob, the younger of the twin sons of Isaac and Rebekah,
was called “the father of the chosen people”. His lifespan is not
known with certainty, because the biblical account cannot be correlated directly
with the surviving secular records, but the available evidence indicates that he
probably lived in about the eighteenth century BCE. The scriptures say that
Jacob was born clutching his elder twin brother Esau’s heel (Ayin Qoph
Beth in Hebrew). Hence popular etymology suggests that this is the
derivation of Jacob’s name, which is said to signify heel catcher
or he clutches. Another possible interpretation is “he whom
God protects”, which is derived from a southern Arabic and Ethiopian
word ‘akaba meaning to guard or to keep.
The cuneiform and Egyptian documents of that period contain personal names from
the same root and the Amorites also used a parallel form of the name. Yet
another meaning of Jacob is the supplanter, which refers to the
fact that Jacob deceived his aged father into giving him the birthright or
blessing, which by custom should have been inherited by the firstborn son, Esau.
By this deception Jacob became the recipient of God’s promise and inherited
Canaan, while Esau received only the less fertile region that became known as
Edom. Jacob’s mother Rebekah also used a subterfuge and obtained Isaac’s
permission for Jacob to flee from Esau’s anger. This was when Jacob fled from
his home in Beersheba and went to his mother’s home in the field or plain of
Aram, called Padanaram, near Harran in the far north of Mesopotamia, where
Isaac’s father, Abraham, had lived before he emigrated to Canaan. Later in his
life Jacob and his sons went to Goshen, the territory in the Nile Delta assigned
to the Israelites during their Egyptian sojourn, not far from the Egyptian
court. Jacob died in Egypt, but Joseph and his brothers took their father’s
embalmed body to Canaan for burial.
The central event of Jacob’s life
occurred at the beginning of his flight from Beersheba, perhaps at the end of
his first day’s journey by camel. He was then almost 100 kilometres north of
Beersheba in the hill country near Bethel, about 20 kilometres north of
Jerusalem. Jacob’s grandfather, Abraham, had camped there during his journey
southwards and had erected an altar to Yahweh, to which he returned after his
visit to Egypt. The scriptures tell us that Jacob slept with the bare earth as
his couch and a stone for his pillow, when he had a vision of a ladder (the
Hebrew word used is Samech Lamedh Mem, which is usually translated
as a stairway). The ladder connected earth with heaven and had
angels continually ascending and descending upon it. It was this occasion when
Jacob’s realisation of God began and God promised Jacob divine protection. This
promised confirmed the one given to Abraham when he was at Padanaram, that the
chosen people would possess the whole of the land from the Euphrates River to
the southwest. Jacob commemorated his dream by setting up the stone on which he
had rested his head as a monument. Jacob poured a libation of oil over the
monument, marking the place where he knew that God was present. This event,
recorded in the twenty-eighth chapter of the book of Genesis, is the basis of
the story of Jacob’s Ladder in the symbolism of speculative
freemasonry.
Although it is usual in modern
speculative freemasonry to name only the three upper staves or rounds of Jacob’s
mystical ladder, in fact it has always had seven rungs. Nowadays the ladder is
described as having “many staves or rounds, which point out as many moral
virtues, but the three principal ones are Faith, Hope and Charity”,
usually described as the Theological Virtues. Originally four
Social Virtues preceded them, nowadays called the four Cardinal
Virtues, which in ascending order were Temperance,
Fortitude, Prudence and Justice. The four
Cardinal Virtues are usually represented by four tassels pendant to
the four corners of the lodge. It seems that the early artists, who prepared the
first of the permanent tracing boards used in lodges, had some difficulty in
representing all seven virtues in the available space and in consequence reduced
them to three. The three Theological Virtues are depicted in
various ways, but usually a Latin cross is used to represent Faith,
an anchor is used to represent Hope and a hand holding a chalice
is used to represent Charity. The three Intellectual Virtues
are Wisdom, Strength and Beauty, but
they are seldom depicted on Jacob’s Ladder because they have
always been referred to as the “three great pillars” that
symbolically support a freemason’s lodge.
On some tracing boards a key also
is depicted on or near Jacob’s ladder. The key is a very old
symbol in speculative freemasonry, which is mentioned in some of the earliest
rituals and catechisms of which copies are still in existence, for example the
Edinburgh Register House MS of 1696. The old catechisms usually
included the question: “What is the key of your lodge?” the reply
to which was “A weel hung tongue”. This response was expanded in
some rituals, as for example in the Sloane MS of about 1700, which
includes the answer:
“It is not made of Wood Stone Iron
or Steel or any sort of metal, but the tongue of good report behind a brother’s
back as well as before his face.”
This is the first known recorded
use of “the tongue of good report”, which is a significant
expression that has survived in speculative rituals to the present day. The
Reverend Adolphus F.A.Woodford was one of the nine eminent founders of the
world’s premier lodge of research, Quatuor Coronati Lodge No 2076,
which was warranted in London in 1884. In Kenning’s Masonic Cyclopaedia
of 1878, the Reverend Woodford said that:
“Jacob’s Ladder in freemasonry
seems to point to the connection between earth and heaven; between man and God;
and to represent faith in God, charity towards all men and hope in immortality.”
Many masonic historians believe
that a substantial Jacobite influence was brought to bear on speculative craft
freemasonry when it was developing rapidly during the eighteenth century. They
say that Jacob’s Ladder was introduced into English freemasonry as
a symbol from Continental freemasonry, with the object of keeping the Jacobite
cause to the forefront, but this suggestion seems unlikely.
Jacob’s Ladder
is not the only ladder that features in the rituals of freemasonry. Ladders of
seven steps are important symbols in several of the additional degrees in
freemasonry, each having its own interpretation. One such ladder, which
symbolises the trials and agonies suffered by the Messiah, is ascended in the
search for the Lost Word. Another mysterious ladder refers to our
moral duties to God and man. When ascending that ladder we are warned to be just
and upright; to be equitable in our dealings with others; to be kind and
amiable; to be of good faith; to labour diligently; to have patience and always
to act with intelligence and discretion. Coupled with that ladder is another
ladder, which prescribes the seven liberal arts and sciences that we should
pursue in order properly to fulfil our moral duties, namely grammar, rhetoric,
logic, arithmetic, geometry, music and astronomy. By yet another ladder we are
taught that our lives should be characterised by justice and charity; by
innocence; by sweetness; by faith; by firmness and truth; by a great work; and
by responsibility.
As a final example of masonic
ladders, there is another that embraces all of the symbolism of the ladders
already mentioned. It is a ladder of seven steps, resting upon a globe that
represents the earth and is surmounted with a Bible with the square and
compasses open thereon. On each successive step, commencing from the lowest, are
the letters I.N.R.I.F.S.C. These are the initial letters of the
seven Latin words Iesus, Nazarenus, Rex,
Iudaeorum, Fides, Spes, Caritas,
which signify Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews; Faith,
Hope and Charity. In this regard it should be remembered that during the
Middle Ages, on the continent of Europe and also in England, the operative
freemasons were primarily engaged in the construction of Christian cathedrals
and associated ecclesiastical structures. This is the reason why many of the old
rituals were substantially Christian in character, notwithstanding the extensive
references to the Hebrew texts that are especially appropriate to the symbolism
of freemasonry. It therefore was inevitable that the early speculative rituals,
which were adapted from those of their operative predecessors, should be similar
in character.
When the Premier Grand Lodge of
speculative freemasonry was established in London in 1717 the Reverend Dr James
Anderson D.D. (1684-1739), a graduate of Marischal College in Aberdeen, produced
the original Book of Constitutions that was issued in 1723. This
Book of Constitutions was a true lineal descendant of the old
MS Charges of the fourteenth century or earlier, although much of the
inherent Christian character had been removed, to which the Antients
objected strongly. However, when the Antients sought
reconciliation with the Moderns and their two Grand Lodges were
unified under the United Grand Lodge of England in December 1813, all
specifically Christian elements were omitted from the rituals. The primary
requirement for admission into freemasonry was then and still is a belief in a
Supreme Being, irrespective of the applicant’s religion or creed.
The “Ancient Mysteries”
Walter M. Wilmshurst was a
renowned English historian and masonic writer. In his book entitled The
Meaning of Masonry, first published early in the 1900s, Wilmshurst
discusses freemasonry in relation to the Ancient Mysteries. In
this context the following excerpt from his book deserves serious contemplation:
“Now one of the first things to
strike any student of masonic literature and comparative religion is the
remarkable presence of common factors, common beliefs, doctrines, practices and
symbols, in the religions of all races alike, whether ancient or modern, eastern
or western, civilised or barbarian, Christian or pagan. However separated from
others by time or distance, however intellectualised or primitive, however
elaborated or simple their religion or morals and however wide their differences
in important respects, each people is found to have employed and still to be
employing certain ideas, symbols and practices in common with every other;
perhaps with or without some slight modification of form. . . . If research or
reflection be pushed far enough it becomes clear that the universality and
uniformity referred to are due to the fact that at one time, long back in the
world’s past, there existed or was implanted in the minds of the whole human
family - which was doubtless much smaller and more concentrated then than now -
a Proto-Evangelium or Root-Doctrine in regard to the nature and destiny of the
soul of man and its relation to the Deity. . . . All the evidence . . .
indicates that primitive man, however childish and intellectually undeveloped
according to modern standards, was spiritually conscious and physically
perceptive to a degree undreamed of by the modern mind.”
Wilmshurst defined freemasonry as
a science designed to teach self-knowledge:
“a noble science that can provide
a spiritual awakening into an order and quality of life previously
unexperienced”.
In most of the Ancient
Mysteries, if not all, the ladder was a symbol of progressive
advancement, which it is in freemasonry. In Signs and Symbols,
which the Reverend Dr George Oliver DD wrote in the early 1800s, he compared
masonic symbolism with the symbolism of the Ancient Mysteries
practised in various parts of the world. He drew particular attention to the
widespread importance of the ladder as a symbol and highlighted the close
similarity in the interpretation of the ladder in all ages and in all rites. He
summarising the masonic symbolism of ladders in the following words:
“Thus the dark clouds of divine
wrath are dissipated, the heavens are opened; and we enjoy a ray of His glory in
the celestial covering of the Lodge. And more than this; the same Divine Being
has taught us how to attain the summit of the same, by means which are
emblematically depicted by a ladder consisting of three principal ROUNDS or
STAVES, which point to the three Theological Virtues, FAITH, HOPE and CHARITY.”
The Persian “Mysteries of
Mithras”
In the Mysteries of Mithras
a ladder of seven rounds, called gates, was the symbolical passage of the soul’s
approach to perfection. The candidate was required to pass through seven dark
and winding caverns, representing the ascent of the Ladder of Perfection,
in which each cavern symbolised a world, or state of existence. A planet was
believed to protect each of these seven worlds and a metal of increasing purity
typified each successive step when ascending the ladder. During its progress to
perfection, the soul was supposed to pass successively from the First
World to the seventh, called Truth. Numbered in succession
from the base of the ladder to the summit, the passage through the worlds,
together with their respective planets and metals, was as follows:
7 |
Truth
|
Sun |
Gold |
6 |
Mansion
of the Blessed |
Moon
|
Silver
|
5 |
World of
Births |
Mars
|
Iron
|
4 |
Middle
World |
Jupiter
|
Tin
|
3 |
Heaven
|
Venus
|
Copper
|
2 |
World of
Pre-Existence |
Mercury |
Quicksilver |
1 |
First
World |
Saturn
|
Lead |
The Indian “Mysteries of
Brahma”
In the Mysteries of Brahma
we also find a ladder of seven steps that symbolises the universe. Each step
represents one of the seven worlds that constitute the Brahminic cosmos, which
are similar to the worlds in the Mysteries of Mithras. The seven
worlds of the Mysteries of Brahma, named in succession from the
lowest to the highest, are: first the Earth; second the
World of Pre-Existence; third Heaven; fourth the
Intermediate Region, which is between the lower and upper worlds and
therefore is usually called the Middle World; the fifth is the
World of Births, where souls are reborn; the sixth or
Mansion of the Blessed is a place where souls rest in eternal peace;
and the seventh is the Sphere of Truth, which is the abode of
Brahma.
The Cabalistic “Tree of
Life”
The Cabala or
Kabbala is the mystical philosophy or theosophy of the Jews. The name
comes from the Hebrew word kibbel, spelled Kaph Beth Lamedh
meaning to receive or to accept, because it is the doctrine received from the
elders. There are two divisions of the Cabala, of which the
Practical is concerned with the construction of talismans and amulets
and the Theoretical is concerned with all other aspects. The
theoretical division is subdivided into two parts, the Dogmatic
and the Literal. The Dogmatic part sets out the
rabbinical philosophy and theosophy and the Literal part gives
mystical explanations of sacred things. The Cabalists also have a
ladder of ten steps, which they call the Tree of Life. The
Tree of Life is usually represented in the following form:
|
KETHER
The Crown
|
|
|
|
|
BINAH
Understanding
|
|
CHOKMAH
Wisdom
|
|
|
|
GEBURAH
Severity
|
|
CHESED
Mercy
|
|
|
|
|
TIPHERETH
Beauty
|
|
|
|
|
HOD
Glory
|
|
NETZACH
Victory
|
|
|
|
|
YESOD
Foundation
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
MALKUTH
The Kingdom
|
|
The Cabalistic Tree of Life
represents several concepts, of which the four worlds of the natural order of
things are foremost. Four is an ancient symbol of the world and nature and of
human beings within nature. Four also refers to the four seasons that relate the
microcosm of humanity to the macrocosm of the universe. They are spring, summer,
autumn and winter, which refer to the supernal, mental, astral and physical
planes by which human evolution is accomplished. It also has various
interpretations relating to Alchemy that are explained in terms of
metals. The Cabalistic Tree of Life differs from the other ladders
because the steps or sephiroth are not arranged in a single
ascending line, but form a lattice of three triads that interconnect to form
three pillars or columns supported on a base. Unlike most ladders, the
sephiroth must be interpreted reading from the top down to the base.
Each sephira represents a fundamental attribute or emanation of
the Divine Essence, called a “Splendour”, through
which the En Soph or Infinite One is able to enter
into a relationship with the Finite. A fundamental concept is that
the En Soph is an absolute and inscrutable unity that has nothing
without himself and everything within himself.
The central trunk of the
Tree of Life of the Cabala is called the Middle Column and
is comprised of four sephiroth. Commencing from the apex they are
the Crown, then Beauty in the midst of the foliage,
followed by the Foundation where the lowest limbs branch out and
lastly the Kingdom where the trunk meets the ground. The right
column of the lattice is the male principal called the Pillar of Mercy.
The left column of the lattice is the female principal called the Pillar
of Justice. These two pillars allude to the qualities of God in pairs
and show that his benevolence on the one hand refines his severity on the other.
Each of these pillars is connected to the Crown and also to the
Foundation, with Beauty situated between them. On the
right in descending order the three sephiroth of the Pillar
of Mercy are Wisdom, Mercy and
Firmness. On the left, also in descending order, the three
sephiroth of the Pillar of Justice are Intelligence,
Justice and Splendour. It should be noted that each
of these two pillars is named after its central sephira,
whilst the pairs of adjacent sepiroth qualify the way in which
human beings should apply their actions represented in each those pillars.
Thus Wisdom must be exercised when showing Mercy,
though Firmness also is required in its application. Likewise
Intelligence is required in the exercise of Justice, so
that the outcome will be Splendorous in the sight of God.
The derivation of Tree of
Life is explained as follows. At the beginning of time the En Soph
or Infinite One sent forth into space a spiritual emanation, which
formed the first sephira, called Kether meaning the
Crown. The Crown contained the other nine
sephiroth that sprang forth from it in the following order. The first
was the male sephira called Chokmah meaning
Wisdom, which was followed by the female sephira called
Binah meaning Intelligence. They combined with the
Crown to form the first triad, from which the other seven
sephiroth were derived. Wisdom and Intelligence
then combined to produce a male potency called Chesed meaning
Mercy, which produced a female potency called Geburah
meaning Justice. Then Mercy and Justice
combined to produce Tiphereth meaning Beauty, thus
completing the second triad. A male potency called Netzach meaning
Firmness, then came forth from Beauty and produced a
female potency called Hod meaning Splendour. The
third triad was completed when Firmness and Beauty
combined to produce Yesod meaning the Foundation.
Lastly, the tenth sephira came forth from the Foundation
and was called Malkuth meaning Kingdom, which is at
the foot of the tree of life.
The philosophy of the Tree
of Life may be explained briefly in the following terms. The upper triad
consists of the Crown, Wisdom and
Understanding. It represents the world of Atziluth, which
is the supernal world of the emanation of the deity. In some respects the
Atziluth is similar to the Trimurti of the Hindus and the
Holy Trinity of the Christians. The three sepiroth
of the Atziluth are also referred to respectively as the
White Head, the Father and the Mother. The
upper triad points upwards in reference to the Deity from which it emanates. The
other two triads point downwards in reference to humanity and the world that
humanity occupies. The middle triad comprises Mercy,
Severity and Beauty, which constitutes the world of
Briah or of creation. In one sense this triad represents the divine mind
and in another it is the realm of the highest created intelligence. The lowest
triad comprises Victory, Glory and Foundation,
which constitute the world of Yetzirah that is the foundation of
all things, wherein it is said that the universe was formed, although it was not
visible externally. The fourth world is Assiah, which comprises
the tenth sephira or the Kingdom that is the
manifest or material world.
Symbolic journeys
Although significant differences
in substance are portrayed in the several ladders described above, nevertheless
each represents an important symbolic journey. Such symbolic journeys have
played a significant part communicating spiritual awareness from the most
ancient times until the present. Hinduism is one of the oldest of the world’s
great religions, which has evolved over more than five thousand years and is
still growing. The Veda, Sanskrit meaning knowledge,
is the body of sacred knowledge held to be the basis of true belief and practice
among the Hindus. The hymns of the Veda portray the mystic fires,
that inner sense of sacrifice burning forever on the “altar of the mind”,
illuminating the symbolic journey of discovery in search of answers to what
seemingly is the impenetrable human-divine mystery. The Veda
refers to the kalahahamsa, or “swan of time”, that
wings back to the sky and “nest of eternity”. Islam is the
youngest of today’s great worldwide religions, which the prophet Muhammad
established during the seventh century. Sufism is an important
branch of Islam committed to maintaining its proper conduct as practised by the
prophet, as distinct from the shari’a (Arabic for the path
worn by camels to the water) or systematic organization of how Muslims
should live and the fiqh (Arabic for intelligence,
knowledge) or science of Islamic religious law. In the twelfth
century a Persian Sufi, ‘Attar, said that quest, love, knowledge, detachment,
unity, amazement and annihilation are the seven valleys that must be crossed on
the symbolic journey to the king’s hidden palace. In this context annihilation
is death as a necessary precursor to resurrection and life eternal. Sufi
may be derived from the Arabic root suf meaning wool, alluding to
their early garments.
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