THE PERAMBULATION
“And it came to pass the seventh time, when
the priests blew the trumpets, Joshua said
to the people, shout; for Jehovah has given you the city.
José. 6:16
As an indication that they are duly and truly prepared to be initiated, approved and raised in the first three Masonic degrees, candidates for Freemasonry must go around the lodge. Also known as ambulation, the candidate’s travels during the degree is one of the most important ritual tasks to be performed. Hymns and prayers taken from passages of the Holy Scriptures are recited. Depending on whether he is being initiated as an Entered Apprentice, passed to the degree of Fellowship, or elevated to the sublime degree of Master Mason, the candidate’s wandering becomes more and more extensive. It is fair to wonder why this tradition is followed and what it symbolizes.
The scripture quoted above is from the book of Joshua and refers to the circumambulation of the priests before the collapse of the walls of Jericho. Since mere trumpet blasts are not likely to cause the stone to topple over, either the trumpet symbolizes a much more powerful force or the entire episode is intended to convey a wiser and more serious truth.
In his recent book, Lost Secrets of the Sacred Ark, Laurence Gardner hypothesizes that the trumpet represented a powerful fusion force emanating from the Ark of the Covenant. While that may be true, there is currently no way to confirm or deny that possibility. However, since the Old Testament, as well as the entirety of the Holy Bible, is literate with allegorical accounts, it is equally likely that Freemasonry, which has been around longer than Mr. Gardner writes, adopted the allegorical meaning. as the basis for the current wandering of the candidates in the Masonic lodges.
During ancient rites of Deity worship, designated holy men solemnly moved around the sacred objects in a circular fashion. Such movement was an integral part of the ritual used by Hindus and Buddhists. In Islam, the circumambulation is used during holy services in Mecca. In each, the movement was intended to represent man’s spiritual transition from everyday life to spiritual perfection. That transition was to be made in stages as each man came nearer in his life and upbringing to the spiritual energy of the Deity.
This ancient custom is preserved in Masonry, but its meaning has generally been forgotten. In some Masonic organizations today there is a tension between those brethren who wish to follow the esoteric lessons taught by the Craft and those brethren who prefer a strict adherence to Masonic ritual, which has evolved over at least the last two centuries. Some in the esoteric field say that the rigid adherence to ritual neglects the most important tenets of sacred ancient philosophy. Certain adherents to the “ritual only” camp believe that Freemasonry is practiced in its purest form by working to achieve “word-perfect” ritualistic performance. In the classical hermetic tradition, both are equally right and wrong.
It is dangerous to work in Freemasonry under the belief that adherence to Masonic ritual is not Freemasonry and therefore should be relegated to the dustbin of relics of the past. It is no less dangerous to ignore the fact that Masonic ritual enjoys a sacred connection to the religions and philosophies of the past. More often than not, if one carefully examines the Masonic past, he will discover that there is a sacred union between the approved ritual and the esoteric knowledge that he purports to convey. In fact, a Freemason may discover new joys in attending ritual performances once he learns more about the rich sacred past.
The candidate’s travels, or wandering through the lodge room, are intended to symbolize the state of spiritual attainment associated with the aid of each of the first three degrees of Masonry. As an entered apprentice, the newly initiated Mason learns to humbly submit to the fact that he knows little, if anything, about what the Craft teaches. In his state of ignorance, the initiated candidate is presented with the tools of learning which, when studied under the guidance of more experienced brethren, will eventually enlighten his spirit. A Fellow is presumed to have mastered the rudiments of Masonic symbolism and is at least aware of the fact that Freemasonry uses symbols to impart wise and serious truths. His spirit is in need of solid food, and therefore the candidate is led to the study of the liberal arts and sciences, which he is expected to read and understand through the prism of the spirituality inculcated by Freemasonry. As he continues to need spiritual nourishment, the Master Mason is expected to take the lessons he has learned and usefully offer them to the community in which he resides by living the spiritual life he has been taught. The wandering symbolizes not only the spiritual state of the candidate, but also the three stages of preparation necessary before the world can hope to benefit from that spirituality.
In ancient religious practices, wandering was believed to be a necessary precedent for invoking the presence of the Deity. This once ubiquitous practice survives today in several of the occult cultures and has fallen out of general favor. Freemasonry does not employ wandering in the hope that it will magically make God appear, for the Art understands and teaches that the Great Architect is always present. The purpose of today is to provide the candidate and the brothers with a ritual practice that centers the mind in that presence and inculcates an attitude of prayer throughout the execution of the ritual.
Freemasons around the world are very interested in discovering the roots and origins of the Art. University professors across Europe, as well as elsewhere, are digging through historical archives, inspecting new information and re-examining existing material in the hope that they can one day state for sure where Freemasonry came from. Those roots and origins are most likely not easily discovered without first understanding that Freemasonry is about man’s relationship with God.
Since time immemorial, man has questioned the existence of God. The fraternity of Freemasons is made up of men who have decided that He exists and who openly profess their faith in His existence. A man cannot become a Mason without believing in the Supreme Being. Although he already possesses faith in God before joining the Craft, a candidate may not have a very developed idea of what it means to him, his family, his friends, and his country. While Freemasonry does not teach that man about the existence of God, it does teach him how God relates to his creations and how we, who are created in his image, can benefit those with whom we come in contact. every day.
What is stated here can be tested by you within the framework of your own lodge. The next time you are sitting in a lodge room and watching the ritual wandering, keep quiet and allow God to speak to your heart throughout the performance. There will be plenty of time to talk with the member sitting next to you after the presentation is over. Consider the stages of your own spiritual development and try to identify your spiritual strengths and weaknesses. Then work really hard to improve your strengths and eliminate your weaknesses. If you try this exercise in the lodge regularly, you will most likely find that you are practicing real Masonry, and in doing so you will also discover the basis for the origins of the Craft to which you belong.