Euclid's 47th Proposition and the Golden Mean.
The Holy Grail of Speculative Freemasonry. Beyond Euclid's 47th Proposition and Plane Geometry.
Submitted by the webmaster. This is the second installment in a lecture series on Freemasonry and its meanings.
From ancient times up to the Renaissance period and the development of modern science, Alchemy was the dominant study that linked the physical and spiritual realms. In fact, it wasn't until modern science that we were able to quite literally prove the common relationships within the physical and spiritual realms. And it was Euclid of Alexandria's, verification of mathematical equations through "proof" that ultimately led to modern science. To Euclid of Alexandria, like the Pythagoras school, it wasn't enough to "know" through gnosis. Euclid required a rigorous study of "proof" outside the subjective experience of thought which is unique to the experience of the Alchemical Initiate. Each Initiate reaches a conclusion specific to the experiences of the Initiate's study and therefore there could be no proof as Euclid defined proof, because each initiate's experience was unique.
In ancient times, Gnosis, the study of the Mysteries, was the basis of all wisdom teachings throughout the world. Gnosis is a Greek word (γνῶσις) meaning knowledge obtained through spiritual or mystic insight. there is much confusion about the word gnosis and gnostic. Gnostics argued the identity of The Christ and were branded heretics by the Church at Rome. But the word Gnosis is simply a word denoting an intuitive, mystic or transcendental understanding of the relationship between the unity of the seen and unseen universe. The final goal or objective of all the Initiate's study is the full realization by the Initiate's divine nature in its oneness with the Creator of the Universe in all its phases and in its wholeness and completeness. And here we have a teaching consistent with Speculative Freemasonry. Gnosis transcends specific religious doctrine finding "proofs" that are universal throughout the Theophany experience. Okay, what does that mean? Theophany simply refers to G*d revealing or manifesting G*d's self to humanity. G*d's presence is revealed! There are many examples of the Theophany experience in Holy Scripture. It was a custom in the ancient Christian Church to baptize catechumens at the Vespers of Theophany, so that Baptism is also revealed as the spiritual illumination of humankind.
The reference for Baptism as the Theophany experience in the ancient Church to humankind through scripture comes from Galatians 3:23-29 Galations 3:23-29, 23 But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. 24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. 26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
There are many examples of the Theophany experience in Bible Scripture:
The Angel of G*d speaks to Abraham, Genesis 22:9-11 9 And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built the altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar, upon the wood. 10 And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son. 11 And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said: 'Abraham, Abraham.' And he said: 'Here am I.'
Moses at Mount Sinai, Exodus 19:19-20 And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder, Moses spake, and God answered him by a voice. 20 And the LORD came down upon mount Sinai, on the top of the mount: and the LORD called Moses up to the top of the mount; and Moses went up.
Isaiah's first vision of G*d, Isaiah 6:1-3 In the year that king Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne high and lifted up, and His train filled the temple. 2 Above Him stood the seraphim; each one had six wings: with twain he covered his face and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. 3 And one called unto another, and said: Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory.
John the Evangelist speaks of G*d manifested on earth as Jesus The Christ, John 1:14 14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
A Spirit of G*d speaks at Jesus' Baptism, Mark 1:9-11 9 And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan. 10 And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him: 11 And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
Paul's conversion, Acts 9:3-7 3 And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: 4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? 5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. 6 And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do. 7 And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man.
Early modern physics in the 1800s focused in the study of matter and its motion and force as it exists in the form of wave frequencies. Physicists now recognize motion and force as a continuous fabric of consciousness in all of life everywhere. But it was the Alchemy of the ancients that morphed into what would be called Aether Theory in modern times. It seemed that through Aether Theory, modern science had bridged the gap that had for so long caused so much angst within the religious and scientific communities and then along comes Einstein and his Mass Energy Equivalence Theory. Suddenly, it became popular to define matter and its motion and force described through particles rather than wave frequencies. This led to a schism in the scientific community.
Like Euclid of Alexandria, and his search to prove reality by creating objective mathematical constants in plane geometry, Einstein proved that units of mass and units of energy are actually manifestations of the same thing with his famous E=mc2 equation. This was and still is to many people an unfamiliar concept. Einstein's equation states that energy consistently exhibits mass in what ever form of energy it takes. Being consistent with Newton's laws of thermodynamics and angular momentum, and Euclid's "Elements", Einstein's new theory launched a new direction in science. But there was one BIG problem. Energy does not always express its self in the form of mass. As Einstein admitted the flaw his equation became so popular that Aether theory was basically forgotten until Quantum Theory.
To read the first installment click here.
To read the third installment click here.
In ancient times, Gnosis, the study of the Mysteries, was the basis of all wisdom teachings throughout the world. Gnosis is a Greek word (γνῶσις) meaning knowledge obtained through spiritual or mystic insight. there is much confusion about the word gnosis and gnostic. Gnostics argued the identity of The Christ and were branded heretics by the Church at Rome. But the word Gnosis is simply a word denoting an intuitive, mystic or transcendental understanding of the relationship between the unity of the seen and unseen universe. The final goal or objective of all the Initiate's study is the full realization by the Initiate's divine nature in its oneness with the Creator of the Universe in all its phases and in its wholeness and completeness. And here we have a teaching consistent with Speculative Freemasonry. Gnosis transcends specific religious doctrine finding "proofs" that are universal throughout the Theophany experience. Okay, what does that mean? Theophany simply refers to G*d revealing or manifesting G*d's self to humanity. G*d's presence is revealed! There are many examples of the Theophany experience in Holy Scripture. It was a custom in the ancient Christian Church to baptize catechumens at the Vespers of Theophany, so that Baptism is also revealed as the spiritual illumination of humankind.
The reference for Baptism as the Theophany experience in the ancient Church to humankind through scripture comes from Galatians 3:23-29 Galations 3:23-29, 23 But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. 24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. 26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
There are many examples of the Theophany experience in Bible Scripture:
The Angel of G*d speaks to Abraham, Genesis 22:9-11 9 And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built the altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar, upon the wood. 10 And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son. 11 And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said: 'Abraham, Abraham.' And he said: 'Here am I.'
Moses at Mount Sinai, Exodus 19:19-20 And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder, Moses spake, and God answered him by a voice. 20 And the LORD came down upon mount Sinai, on the top of the mount: and the LORD called Moses up to the top of the mount; and Moses went up.
Isaiah's first vision of G*d, Isaiah 6:1-3 In the year that king Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne high and lifted up, and His train filled the temple. 2 Above Him stood the seraphim; each one had six wings: with twain he covered his face and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. 3 And one called unto another, and said: Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory.
John the Evangelist speaks of G*d manifested on earth as Jesus The Christ, John 1:14 14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
A Spirit of G*d speaks at Jesus' Baptism, Mark 1:9-11 9 And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan. 10 And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him: 11 And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
Paul's conversion, Acts 9:3-7 3 And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: 4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? 5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. 6 And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do. 7 And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man.
Early modern physics in the 1800s focused in the study of matter and its motion and force as it exists in the form of wave frequencies. Physicists now recognize motion and force as a continuous fabric of consciousness in all of life everywhere. But it was the Alchemy of the ancients that morphed into what would be called Aether Theory in modern times. It seemed that through Aether Theory, modern science had bridged the gap that had for so long caused so much angst within the religious and scientific communities and then along comes Einstein and his Mass Energy Equivalence Theory. Suddenly, it became popular to define matter and its motion and force described through particles rather than wave frequencies. This led to a schism in the scientific community.
Like Euclid of Alexandria, and his search to prove reality by creating objective mathematical constants in plane geometry, Einstein proved that units of mass and units of energy are actually manifestations of the same thing with his famous E=mc2 equation. This was and still is to many people an unfamiliar concept. Einstein's equation states that energy consistently exhibits mass in what ever form of energy it takes. Being consistent with Newton's laws of thermodynamics and angular momentum, and Euclid's "Elements", Einstein's new theory launched a new direction in science. But there was one BIG problem. Energy does not always express its self in the form of mass. As Einstein admitted the flaw his equation became so popular that Aether theory was basically forgotten until Quantum Theory.
To read the first installment click here.
To read the third installment click here.
(To Be Continued)
