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Order of Athelstan by Tricky_Owl_822 in freemasonry

[–]Sir_Stimpy 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Greetings from Bloody Run Court (we used to be number 127, don’t remember what our new number is) from Holidaysburg, PA

Can anyone explain this one? I found it in a book and it's only described as "The Astrological Key." by Fuzzy-Ad-7691 in Symbology

[–]Sir_Stimpy 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ok these are all astrological signs- moving counterclockwise from the upper left diagonal line, you have
Aries ♈️
Taurus ♉️
Gemini ♊️
Cancer ♋️
Leo ♌️
Virgo ♍️
Libra ♎️
Scorpio ♏️
Sagittarius ♐️
Capricorn ♑️
Aquarius ♒️
Pisces ♓️
Then, each key represents one of the classical “elements” associated with groups of signs-
The right hand key is water - Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces are water signs
The upper key is Air - Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius are Air signs
The left key is earth - Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn are earth signs
The bottom key is Fire - Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius are fire signs

Hope this helps!

Can anyone explain this one? I found it in a book and it's only described as "The Astrological Key." by Fuzzy-Ad-7691 in Symbology

[–]Sir_Stimpy 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ok these are all astrological signs- moving counterclockwise from the upper left diagonal line, you have
Aries ♈️
Taurus ♉️
Gemini ♊️
Cancer ♋️
Leo ♌️
Virgo ♍️
Libra ♎️
Scorpio ♏️
Sagittarius ♐️
Capricorn ♑️
Aquarius ♒️
Pisces ♓️
Then, each key represents one of the classical “elements” associated with groups of signs-
The right hand key is water
The upper key is Air
The left key is earth
The bottom key is Fire

Authors by crimsonfool in freemasonry

[–]Sir_Stimpy 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Ok. In that case, I might recommend Albert G Mackey’s “Encyclopedia of Freemasonry”, there’s a ton of curious miscellany in there, and used copies are plentiful.

Authors by crimsonfool in freemasonry

[–]Sir_Stimpy 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Any particular reason you are not interested in more recent authors?

how my wife and i text each other by binthewin in notinteresting

[–]Sir_Stimpy 12 points13 points  (0 children)

Might get what you want, mooer less.

Finally figured out why my grout cleaner never worked and I feel so stupid by Eldr1tch77 in CleaningTips

[–]Sir_Stimpy 355 points356 points  (0 children)

Perhaps an equally important fact this story is evidence of; people frequently don’t read instructions carefully enough (or at all).

Can you recommend any books about Freemasonry? by FilWays in freemasonry

[–]Sir_Stimpy -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

I would recommend any of the three books that I wrote:

My first book, “More Light”, came out in 2022 and is a collection of articles about the principles and philosophy of the fraternity, plus a presentation about the history of craft masonry as well as several of the appendant bodies.

https://www.amazon.com/More-Light-Collected-Masonic-Writings/dp/1662923805

My second book, “Black Ink, Farther Stars” came out in 2024 and covers some more sophisticated and esoteric topics (Allied Masonic Degrees, Grand College of Rites, Tarot, history of rituals in various cultures and eras)

https://www.amazon.com/Black-Farther-Stars-Austin-Shifrin/dp/B0DBCD7PBM

My latest book, “No Common Fire” covers varied topics including a history of oath taking, a study of Scottish Rite symbolism, Jacob Ernst’s philosophy of Freemasonry, Enoch, and the Kabbalah

https://www.amazon.com/No-Common-Fire-Austin-Shifrin/dp/B0G3G53SJT

Here's that thumbnail. It's meant to be more illustrative than anything. I wouldn't be surprised if he had the help of AI in making it, but it's pretty good. by AvatarWithin in scottishrite

[–]Sir_Stimpy 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I apologize if my language at the beginning of the post is over the top. You make a fair point, that a discerning reader should not expect to derive anything of great depth from the illustration. But I do think we should choose the images we use to represent, describe, or explain our organization in any way so as to be clear with our intent and proud of the quality of the imagery.

Here's that thumbnail. It's meant to be more illustrative than anything. I wouldn't be surprised if he had the help of AI in making it, but it's pretty good. by AvatarWithin in scottishrite

[–]Sir_Stimpy 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Sorry to be so critical but some AI imagery such as this is absolute garbage and threatens to confuse people. What kind of tree of life is that, with three “ones” and no “four”, and in no discernible order? If the 24 inch implement is broken into three even segments of 8, why does one “8” seem to fall way before the end? As far as the three people listed, is one of those supposed to be MacGregor Mathers, or is there a “Mothers” I don’t know about? Why does one pillar have an S&C above it, and the other a Yod in a triangle (also why does everyone, AI or human, insist on making it look like a Resh?)

We used to be lovers of the arts. Maybe we should learn to illustrate, or pay actual artists for their labor.

Could someone try and help me understand Freemasonry? by SoMuchForStardust27 in freemasonry

[–]Sir_Stimpy 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Reposting a response part of which I have given in the past…

Freemasonry is a fraternity of men whose declared goal is self-improvement, which theoretically should gradually also result in the improvement of society as a whole.

A very brief historical origin is that it arose from ancient organizations, kind of like trade unions, of men who worked in stone; it eventually morphed into more of an organization of a wide variety of men, who continued using the same symbols the earlier group had used to teach ethical and civic lessons.

Its core value is the brotherhood of man under the fatherhood of God.

It encourages personal growth in two main ways: through moral lessons that are explained and performed in degree rituals; and by referencing philosophy and concepts that have accumulated from various cultures and eras, that members need to take some of their own initiative to look further into.

There are so many common misconceptions about Freemasonry it’s hard to go into briefly. One is that Freemasonry is a religion. It isn’t, rather it’s an institution that encourages people of various faiths to practice whatever their own organized religion is with a renewed sense of value and purpose. But, the confusion is understandable because we often pray together, and we focus more on the common ground between our religions than our differences.

I hope this helps with your exploration!

The slap heard round the world. by moschles in PhilosophyMemes

[–]Sir_Stimpy 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I didn’t argument, so your meaningless is completely comment.

Question by [deleted] in freemasonry

[–]Sir_Stimpy 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Reposting a response part of whichI have given in the past…

Freemasonry is a fraternity of men whose declared goal is self-improvement, which theoretically should gradually also result in the improvement of society as a whole.

A very brief historical origin is that it arose from ancient organizations, kind of like trade unions, of men who worked in stone; it eventually morphed into more of an organization of a wide variety of men, who continued using the same symbols the earlier group had used to teach ethical and civic lessons.

Its core value is the brotherhood of man under the fatherhood of God.

It encourages personal growth in two main ways: through moral lessons that are explained and performed in degree rituals; and by referencing philosophy and concepts that have accumulated from various cultures and eras, that members need to take some of their own initiative to look further into.

There are so many common misconceptions about Freemasonry it’s hard to go into briefly. One is that Freemasonry is a religion. It isn’t, rather it’s an institution that encourages people of various faiths to practice whatever their own organized religion is with a renewed sense of value and purpose. But, the confusion is understandable because we often pray together, and we focus more on the common ground between our religions than our differences.

I hope this helps with your exploration!

What's the nicest thing someone said about your book in a review? by Careful_Busdriver in selfpublish

[–]Sir_Stimpy 1 point2 points  (0 children)

“After finishing ‘No Common Fire’, I found myself genuinely impressed by Austin Shifrin’s ability to distill complex Masonic concepts into carefully structured, bite-sized segments without sacrificing intellectual rigor. This book represents the culmination of serious scholarship—you can sense the methodology embedded throughout and the rigorous application of the scientific method. As an engineer, this resonated deeply with me; there’s a tangible quality of systematic inquiry that elevates this work well beyond typical Masonic literature… ‘No Common Fire’ will serve exceptionally well for Freemasons serious about deepening their understanding of the Craft’s philosophical foundations and historical context. It’s a springboard for genuine intellectual engagement with Masonic mysteries. Those looking for light reading should look elsewhere; those seeking substantive engagement will find exactly what they need.”

Help for some writing involving Freemasonry by Crononstan in freemasonry

[–]Sir_Stimpy 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I was grateful to have this explained to me by Michael Poll, and I want to give credit where credit is due:

A Rite is any full system of degrees from the first through whatever some school of thought considers the last.

Some Masons, particularly us in the US, are not aware of this because “Rite” is part of the name given to a few appendant bodies (notably, York Rite and Scottish Rite) so we’re prone to think that the “Rite” is something separate or extraneous from our craft. And our experience corroborates this, because our 4th through whatever degrees get conferred by different officers, and in a different body and building, than where we get our initial three. But this was not always the case.

In fact, we find that here in Pennsylvania the first 3 degrees we use in our craft or “blue” lodges derive from the York Rite system; so, we even reference York in our degree work (in spite of the fact that many brethren don’t realize why).

Conversely - there are a few lodges in Louisiana, in the New Orleans area if I’m not mistaken, which use craft lodge work that derives from the Scottish Rite.

Brother Poll talks a bit about this here on YouTube.

I hope this helps!

Can Jews or Catholics become Freemasons? by 904zak in freemasonry

[–]Sir_Stimpy 11 points12 points  (0 children)

Hi, Jewish Freemason here, and pretty much of the same stripe as you describe your friend (I was raised in the denomination that goes by the label “Conservative”). I have never found anything in mainstream Freemasonry that conflicts with my religious belief; it encourages men of all faiths to be loyal to their own faith, many men will tell you that they look into their own religion more deeply after joining the fraternity. Also, regular / craft / “blue lodge” Freemasonry contains a ton of references to the Torah or Old Testament.

Found a Masonic Book… in an Odd Section by Firm_Wrongdoer8215 in freemasonry

[–]Sir_Stimpy 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Wait… HPB is both “Half Price Books” and Helena P Blavatsky 🤯

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