Masonic Reflection and Artwork
OUR HUMAN CONNECTION THROUGH MASONRY One of our members writes…On the occasion of “Heritage Days,” in Europe, specific Masonic lodges are open to the public. On one of these occasions, I was on duty there for a few hours, sharing some insights with visitors and doing my best to answer their questions. This Sunday, an exceptional experience awaited me.I was on duty in one of the temples entirely decorated with frescoes on an Egyptian theme. This “comic strip” often fascinates children, who may have already encountered ancient Egypt on a trip or in a history lesson, and such was the case this Sunday. A father and his two children, the only visitors at the time, were listening and seemed very interested, especially the little girl, who must have been around 7 years old. After hearing the story told by the fresco, her gaze turned to the black-and-white checkerboard pattern covering the floor of the temple. Intrigued, she asked me: “Did the Egyptians play chess?” So I explained to her that it wasn’t a chessboard, but that it served another purpose — and seeing her curiosity, I began to explain to her, in “child-friendly” terms, the meaning of black and white, the different aspects of a situation or a person, the alternation of dark moments and joyful ones, of light and shadow. She listened silently. I wasn’t sure if I’d truly been clear. Then, as they were already outside the temple, she ran back to me and said: “You know, sometimes, I only see the black squares…”Me: “Oh really? When does that happen?”Her: “At night, in my bed… and then I can’t sleep.”Me: “And what goes through your mind at those moments?”She, sadly: “I think about the girls in my class who are mean to me…” Her father, who had come back to get her, looked at me, stunned:“I could tell something was wrong lately, but I had no idea what was bothering her so much…”I took Pauline’s hand to go for a little walk on the checkerboard floor (which we call the “mosaic pavement”) — one white square, then a black one, then white again — thinking together of “white” or “black” things, then the same things in black, then in white again… As she left, she said:“Tonight, I’ll think about the white squares before falling asleep!” That little girl made my day. And beyond the joy of that moment, I was once again struck by the power of symbolic thinking. Because symbols possess this rare quality, they take us directly to the essence, whether it’s about ourselves or our relationships with others. A symbol imposes nothing; it is a window opened onto the universe. It is a universal language that reveals the one who speaks of it, yet firmly escapes all definition — for to define it would be to crystallize it, and thus reduce it to its material aspect. Like a jewel with many facets, it remains forever subjective and plural, rejects the “or” to embrace the “and.” Symbols unite us in fraternity, just as they connect each of us to our divine part and the entire universe. Pauline, this Sunday, allowed me to experience that once again. Mirielle B
IN SEARCH OF MEANING The young Freemason who knocks at the door of the Lodge is in search of meaning. She has chosen to join our Order to bring meaning to her life. Questions gnaw at her—about her purpose, her existence, her place in the universe. Freemasonry offers her a method for seeking Truth, which is also a quest for meaning. Through self-awareness and the perception of symbols with her senses, reason, and heart, she can hope to give meaning to her inner life—to discover meaning within herself. It is a deeply personal and subjective search, undertaken in full freedom, along a deeply personal path—but not a solitary one. Beyond this inner meaning, entering Freemasonry may also serve to give meaning to the absurdity of the world, to justify the struggle against meaninglessness. We share a common definition of the senseless, the unbearable, the inexplicable, the unacceptable: genocides, suffering, glaring social inequalities, dogmatism, violations of the most basic human rights, and more—the list is far too long. Yet we share a vision—a positive vision of a truly human Humanity. The goal is to help build a better world, one in which we participate— A society to which we give meaning, and to which we restore meaning. A matter of common sense, at least for me and my Sisters and Brothers—this is already a form of collective awareness, not merely a subjective pursuit. This quest is infinite, yet I do not give up— Even when I feel disillusioned, like Sisyphus in the myth revisited by Camus. Who knows? What once seemed utopian or meaningless in past times has sometimes become common sense today. Let us place our hope in the wisdom of Humanity! Through constructive doubt and dialogue, I build bridges of meaning between my inner sense and the sense I wish to give the world. This ongoing search for meaning helps us understand, so we may act with full awareness—and perhaps even give meaning to the absurd. To build these meaningful connections, I sketch out my project, I refine my intention, I draw up my plan on my tracing board, And I take up my tools again, To carve my stone of meaning. — Nathalie
SISTERS, MY SISTERS - poem by Janine Sisters, my Sisters Marie, Myriam, Meryam, Do you see nothing coming? We see the road shimmering with dust Under the steps of men who go to war. Sisters, my Sisters Hana, Shannah, Anne, Do you see nothing coming? We see, far off on the road, women, children, Men too, Fleeing — they are white, Black, or brown, All gripped by the same terror. They are Christians, Jews, Muslims, or others still, All united in a shared wandering along the paths of exile… Sister, my Sister, whatever your name, your origin, your country, or your beliefs, Give me your hand, and take mine… Against their weapons, our tears can do nothing. So let us join our hands and hearts in a chain — A chain of fraternal love and solidarity, A chain to cry out our will for freedom and tolerance, For respect and equality, A chain that would stretch all around the Earth, Uniting people of goodwill who work for a world without violence or hatred. Sister, my Sister, imagine… A world without wars, a world in which the most fundamental values of the Rights of Man and Citizenship are respected. Imagine… That world, my Sister, you can help build it By radiating outward what you receive within. The road will be difficult and long; It won’t be tomorrow, nor even the day after, You’ll see the result of your efforts. But Sister, my Sister, do not give up… Reach out your hand, open your heart, and one day… Imagine… Sometimes dreams become reality. – Janine
WHAT DO WE MEAN BY “SYMBOL”? “Man can only be fulfilled if he has a willing knowledge of his unconscious life.” — C.G. Jung What do we mean by “symbol”? This term is difficult to define and takes on different meanings depending on whether we refer to dictionary definitions, or approach it from a religious, philosophical, historical perspective, or even within a specific moment in history or psychoanalysis. Since the dawn of time, humans have symbolically interpreted nature. Primitive societies had their symbolic worlds, and we find similar symbols across many cultures, distant in both time and space. Where does the word “symbol” come from? In Greek, symbolon means “a token of recognition,” a kind of tablet where one half was given to guests so they could recognize each other later. Cities used it with their visitors, and early Christians used it as a sign of affiliation. Parents would attach one half to children who were “exposed”—that is, children the father refused to acknowledge and abandoned—so they could potentially be recognized later. By extension, it became any sign of identification or connection. A symbol always represents separation, recognition, and reunification. Symbols complement and overlap each other—connections can always be made between them. They are multi-layered. That’s probably why, when we explore a particular topic, everything around us seems to point to it. It feels like we see it everywhere. You don’t invent a symbol. You can create an image or representation. But a true symbol, as we understand it, is always more complex than what we can express. As soon as we try to explain it, we diminish it. A word or image is symbolic if it suggests something beyond its immediate, obvious meaning. This abstract or “unconscious” aspect is never fully or precisely defined. When we discuss symbols, our mind and imagination extend beyond what our rational awareness can understand. That’s why there is no exact definition of a symbol—and why it varies for each person. Man can never perceive everything fully. We rely on our five senses to understand the world, but much slips past us—too distant, too tiny, too faint… We are continually confronted with the boundaries of certainty, limits that conscious knowledge cannot transcend. Once an “objective” perception happens, it becomes a mental experience—and then it transforms. Moreover, many experiences occur subliminally, outside our awareness. Therefore, sensations like déjà vu, premonitions, or feelings of having experienced something before... Symbolism resonates with the whole person — not just the logical mind or conscious awareness. It enhances consciousness by tapping into unconscious or repressed elements, which in turn shapes personality and behavior. To gain from it, you must play the game, let go, freely explore your imagination, and avoid censoring yourself—regardless of the reason. I’m thinking, for example, of religious references that we carry within us from our culture, our education, or our family background. These are present, and they influence us. Let them enrich your reflection, while maintaining a healthy distance. How it works… Working with symbols involves searching. That is our only duty in Freemasonry: to seek. The symbol prompts us to ask questions. It allows for all kinds of interpretations—none of them are more correct, more true, or more valid than others. So the right question is: What first comes to my mind when I take a tool in my hand, look at it, weigh it, observe it, and manipulate it? In this exercise, I confront: •my rational knowledge of the object, as found in a dictionary; •my cultural background, in which I was raised and which comes immediately to mind; •my personal memories and all kinds of messages I’ve picked up—sometimes without realizing it; •and my experiences, emotions, and feelings. So we are well beyond mere rational knowledge of the tool. This is the work we do in Lodge. It is a return to ourselves. It is this desire to seek and understand that must drive us— To know ourselves better, improve ourselves, reduce our flaws, elevate our thoughts, and contribute to the betterment of humanity in our way. It’s not apparent. It takes time and patience. The symbolic approach may be difficult for some, while seeming obvious to others. And yet, all of us have access to symbolic thinking. We need to let go, to recognize it, to perhaps train it. Rational thought is limited by our senses, our knowledge, our brain, and how it functions. We’ve developed many tools to extend our senses and broaden rational knowledge. But rational knowledge is only a tiny part of knowledge. The initiate is more than a thinking being. The Masonic symbol is not meant to support science, but to strike the conscience. Reflection deepens over time—it dives deeper, following our own plumb line. And in reverse, the unconscious rises. It takes time. The path traveled isn’t immediately perceptible. Today, we also face the challenge of the culture of instantaneous gratification. Here, in a different time and space, we must rediscover patience and perseverance. Here, everything is a symbol, which means that each person brings their own meaning to it and searches within themselves for its explanation. Throughout this entire journey, we can conclude that the symbolic approach reunifies the self—it completes the person by bridging the conscious and unconscious, and structures the mind. There, one discovers one’s own truth. And each person’s truth is unique. “Man can only be fulfilled if he has a willing knowledge of his unconscious life.” — C.G. Jung – Michèle D.
THE ART OF LISTENING Alfred Varresse once said: “To listen to another is to understand what is not said.” Our civilization has evolved at an astonishing speed. Our society is increasingly based on productivity, not on taking time. Communication has followed the same path. Maximizing productivity means minimizing the time devoted to listening. Man has become a kind of individualistic machine. Yet to truly listen, one must be open, available, present — having cleared away what previously held their attention and focus. Only open-mindedness, availability, the struggle against prejudices, habits, obsessions, and the temporary suspension of personal viewpoints and self-interest will make us truly capable of listening without bias, of being fully receptive. As Pythagoras already said: “If speaking is a necessity, listening is an art.” In our daily lives, listening plays a crucial role. But don’t hearing and listening go hand in hand…? If listening is to be more than just a polite posture, a form of etiquette, or simply the following of instructions, then we must hear what is said, what is only half-said, and what hides behind the words used or the attitudes displayed. As La Rochefoucauld wrote: “You must listen to those who speak if you wish to be heard.” That’s the heart of the matter: to relearn how to open ourselves to others, to make space for the unknown and for uncertainty, so that we can rediscover the kind of deep listening we’ve forgotten. In truth, it’s not listening itself that we’ve forgotten — far from it. What’s been forgotten is its true nature, its quality, and especially what we do with it, what it leads to. What is missing today is the true art of debate, of constructive and well-argued discussion, of thoughtful confrontation, where each person listens to the other and makes the effort to understand their point of view. This seems hardly compatible with the taste for immediacy that defines our era. Yet it is precisely this skill — the skill of listening — that offers us the greatest chance of achieving not just a compromise, but a position that genuinely considers the needs, difficulties, and specific circumstances of each person. Anonymous
OUR PERSUIT OF PERFECTION Do we aim to improve or seek perfection? In a time when everyone is expected to eat healthier, work more efficiently, and strengthen their mental resilience, self-improvement often becomes a pursuit of perfection. While there’s a vast difference between improvement and perfection, society frequently tries—often insidiously—to convince us that we should always aim higher, even beyond our limits, to achieve perfection. In short, it’s about the pursuit of the perfect man or woman. During the Enlightenment of the 18th century, when Freemasonry was founded, improvement was a fundamental humanist principle. That idea involved long-term commitment, a desire for continual reform, and persistence. But what about the 21st century? Our hyperconnected society is also one of immediacy, which has shifted those foundational values toward perfectionism —a set of routines, conditioning, and lifestyles that push us to continually raise the bar higher, or too high, actually to reach. This constant striving is exhausting and frustrating because the perfectionist is never satisfied with what they’ve accomplished. Whether in personal or professional life, the perfectionist is defined by specific attitudes: •She sees anything short of perfection as unacceptable. •Because only perfection is acceptable, she sets unattainable goals. •These impossible goals lead to repeated disappointment, which deepens self-deprecation with every “failure.” While the desire to improve helps us to progress, evolve, and grow, and while perfectionism can be a useful quality, it can also become a handicap—a real source of suffering when it leads to excessive guilt, fear of failure, fear of judgment, or paralysis that prevents action unless everything is perfect. It becomes dangerous when performance quality exceeds the purpose or process, leading to constant dissatisfaction, regret, and pressure. Our society bombards us with ideals and preset expectations: how to be a good teacher, a good mother, dynamic, a good cook, attractive, desirable, competitive… Through television, magazines, and books, we’re bombarded with endless “tips and tricks” for becoming these idealized versions of ourselves. But these so-called miracle recipes often condition us to buy products that create the illusion of reaching that ideal. They promote a false utopia—an infantilized society in which we treat wellness as just another commodity. But what do psychologists say? They’ve shown that perfectionism has many facets—some adaptive and even desirable, others problematic. There are two forms of perfectionism, as described by Tal Ben-Shahar (2011): •The perfectionist sees the path as a straight line, fears failure, focuses on the end result, thinks in black-and-white, adopts a defensive attitude, is overly meticulous, hard on herself and others, and is rigid and static. •The optimist sees the path as a winding spiral, learns from failures, and focuses on both the journey and the destination. Her approach is nuanced and open to other opinions; she is forgiving, adaptable, and dynamic. Most of all, she can accept reality—the good and the bad, the pleasant and the painful—and take her own nature into account. While the desire to improve is part of human nature and beneficial for personal and social growth, pushed to the extreme, it does more harm than good. Studies link unhealthy perfectionism to depression, burnout, mood swings, anxiety, eating disorders, insomnia, and more. In general, aiming for optimism means starting by recognizing and accepting your limits before attempting to do your best with what you can do, and then deciding to move forward. This mindset shift also requires learning to accept mistakes and failures. We must resist the tendency to judge ourselves too harshly. Instead, we should see failures as opportunities to learn, to apply those lessons, and to keep trying—again and again. As Charles Pépin writes in The Virtues of Failure: “To fail is to be free.” It’s because we are imperfect that we are free. So, aiming for improvement rather than perfection means giving up the pursuit of an unattainable goal and entering into an iterative process—a cycle where every success and failure is a step forward. A failure prepares us for the next ones—if we accept it. Perfectionism, so deeply ingrained in our society, is also present in Freemasonry. It can be positive and optimistic when it motivates us to grow, exceed our own expectations, and improve. But it can also be negative, when it prevents someone from speaking for fear of saying something “wrong,” for fear of being judged, when it discourages playfulness or creativity. It can be intimidating to perceive the image of perfection in other women. It may even deter those who would thrive in Freemasonry, but don’t dare knock on the door. Of course, each of us carries an image in our minds of the “ideal Freemason”, with the values and behaviors that define her: fraternity, liberty, equality, wisdom, beauty, strength. Although these values remain unchanged, we need to reflect on them differently. We should question what they mean and how they are understood today, especially in relation to who we are as 21st-century women. As society evolves, so must Freemasonry. It’s no longer about being a “good Freemason” as one might have been in the 20th century, but about being a Freemason of today. Is perfection still the goal? But what kind of perfection? It’s the diversity of the stones in the Temple that gives it beauty. Perfection is neither singular nor absolute, and perfect beauty does not exist. As the saying goes, “perfection is not of this world.” And as a Korean proverb puts it: “Perfection is a path, not a destination.” Our personal paths are enriched by the diversity we encounter here and elsewhere. They are nourished by the quest for perfection, but not by that alone. Imperfection is also our richness, our diversity, our beauty. So let’s dare to see things differently. Let’s dare to forget the “perfect self.” Let’s embrace our imperfections, our differences, and continue on the path toward our dreams and ideals— While always keeping in mind the values that unite us. Anonymous
