Twenty Three and One Half Degrees...The following extract is taken from; MASONIC MANUAL and Monitorial Instructions of the Grand Lodge of A. F. & A. M. of Minnesota 2009 Manual of the Rod: "While they are marching, they carry the rod between the upper arm and the body, inclining it forward at an angle of 23 and one-half degrees, grasping the rod at the same position as while standing. ". Why this precise decimal pointed number 23.5? Masonic symbolism contains various astronomical references and the mason is informed that masonry is veiled in allegory and illustrated by symbols, so he should not be surprised to find that there is also more than one way of understanding the ritual text, just as within the Bible text, "for those with eyes to see... for those with ears to hear..." So what is the allegorical meaning of this awkward angle 23.5' ? Is the angle of the deacon's rod an innocent coincidence or is it an intended allegory encoded into the ritual to teach the mason of the angle at which the planet Earth is tilted from its true axis?. (Remember this angle is responsible for the four variating seasons, the Summer Solstice & the Winter Solstice and the Tropics of Capricorn & Cancer, a very useful angle for any budding or aspiring astronomer to know). The traditional shape of the keystone which bears the Initials H T W S S T K S also alludes to the angle of 23.5'. For further readijng about how this angle has been represented in artwork over the course of history, follow this link; http://www.freewebs.com/garyosborn/235degreereferences.htm |
Tilted Equilateral TriangleIn order to understand the significance of the design it is required to understand the geometric curiosities that the tilted hexagram produces.
The forming of the tilted hexagram or equilateral triangle is the same. It is produced using the three primary shapes of geometry: a circle, equilateral triangle and square. The design of a tilted equilateral triangle is a geometric curiosity, in that ‘the properties of 2 of the 3 shapes listed can produce the perfect form of the third’. For example: starting with a square, an internal square could be added and twisted at 45°. Inside the inner square a circle could be drawn. Taking any corner of the larger square and projecting two lines out so that they touch the circumference of the inner circle, this produces an angle of 60°. Then, using the side of the tilted square that was opposite to the former corner, the extension of that side intersects with the two previously projected lines to produce a perfect equilateral triangle; set at 45°. It is geometrically possible that the process could be completed no matter which shape one started with. An added curiosity is the fact that the exact centre of each shape is at precisely the same point as each other’s. Due to this, those who believed that geometry was the building block of life and/or creation (sacred geometry) saw this as the perfect presentation of the Trinity, either in an ancient form or in the Christian form; each shape is independent, but is also the sum of the other two.
(Obviously, a hexagram is easy to produce by reversing the final stage to create an opposing equilateral triangle). |