Harry Mason & the Chamber of Reflection...

[decim]

The 'Chamber of Reflection';

What are the dimensions?

What materials is it made from?

What does it contain?

Is there any visible light?

Is it sound proofed?

Thanks.

[stewart edwards]

The 'Chamber of Reflection';

What are the dimensions?

What materials is it made from?

What does it contain?

Is there any visible light?

Is it sound proofed?

Thanks.Decim

I have helped set one of these up. It is just a room. It contained a table, a chair, some salt and earth, I dont remember what else. It was dark, dont know if there was a candle or not, I think there was. It was not sound proofed.

[decim]

Is all that standard practice?

or peculiar to the brand you helped with?

What colour candle?

Sea or Rock salt?

Above ground level?

No water?



Decim

I have helped set one of these up. It is just a room. It contained a table, a chair, some salt and earth, I dont remember what else. It was dark, dont know if there was a candle or not, I think there was. It was not sound proofed.

[stewart edwards]

Is all that standard practice?I understand that it is common in French based masonry but rare in English based. Perhaps one of the masons here could confirm?


or peculiar to the brand you helped with?See above.

What colour candle?As I said above decim I am not 100% sure that there was a candle, but I think there was. I dont remember the colour.

Sea or Rock salt?I dont remember but I got it from the kitchen cupboard. It was ordinary salt.

Above ground level?On ground level.

No water?As I said above I dont remember. I just got what I was asked to get.

[kadosh]

Again a reply from a non-Mason. What is the purpose of these questions beyond idle curiosity? If you google the question you will find some information.

[stewart edwards]

Again a reply from a non-Mason.Kadosh I helped set the room up. Hence I do know what I am talking about here.

[kadosh]

I simply do not understand why whoever it was you were helping (the Tiler?) was involving you in all of this activity. This is most irregular.

[decim]

K N night roganjosh.

Your presumption is the lesser part of your facetiousness.

Take your own advice & assume you are some where else, tel aviv maybe.

Again a reply from a non-Mason. What is the purpose of these questions beyond idle curiosity? If you google the question you will find some information.

[stewart edwards]

I simply do not understand why whoever it was you were helping (the Tiler?) was involving you in all of this activity. This is most irregular.This has actually been fully explained on this forum Kadosh in the not to distant past. I have spent over 30 hours with the lodge helping them.

[decim]

And nowt to do with you.

I simply do not understand why whoever it was you were helping (the Tiler?) was involving you in all of this activity. This is most irregular.

[kadosh]

This has actually been fully explained on this forum Kadosh in the not to distant past. I have spent over 30 hours with the lodge helping them.
Was this a UGLE lodge? If so what was the function of the person involving you in all of this?

[stewart edwards]

Was this a UGLE lodge?If so what was the function of the person involving you in all of this?No.

[decim]

Phangal chol

[kadosh]

no.
I did not think so. Then it was LDH.

[stewart edwards]

I did not think so. Then it was LDH.Kadosh you are wrong. If you want to know pm me and I will tell you (after I get the email from a known mason confirming you are an ugle mason).

[kadosh]

I know that LDH use a CoR. If what you describe took place in England and unless it was a mixed lodge such as the GL for Men & Women (I am not aware they used a CoR) then it must be some very obscure group.

[lightgiver]

I simply do not understand why whoever it was you were helping (the Tiler?) was involving you in all of this activity. This is most irregular.

I suppose its how well you know the TYLER.:)

http://www.srmason-sj.org/council/journal/sep99/sharma.html

[decim]

Watt Tyler?

I suppose its how well you know the TYLER.:)

http://www.srmason-sj.org/council/journal/sep99/sharma.html

[barney_rubble]

For those who want details of the Chamber of reflection here is a paper

Small excerpt:

Presented at the Vancouver Grand Masonic Day, October 16, 1999
by W. Bro. Helio L. Da Costa Jr.

Most of the Brethren who received their initiations in Mexico, Central and South America, Europe, Middle East and Africa will be acquainted with the Chamber of Reflection. It is used in the first degree in the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite, the French Rite, the Brazilian Rite and other rites derived from the ones just mentioned.The word chamber is an archaic term for room and the word reflection means, according to the Oxford Dictionary of Current English,
"reflecting or being reflected; reflected light or heat or colour or image; discredit or thing bringing discredit; reconsideration (or reflection); idea arising in the mind, comment (on or upon)."

Albert G. Mackey in his Encyclopedia of Freemasonry explains that the Chamber of Reflection is:
...a small room adjoining the Lodge, in which, preparatory to initiation, the candidate is enclosed for the purpose of indulging in those serious meditations which its sombre appearance and the gloomy emblems with which it is furnished are calculated to produce. It is also used in some of the advanced degrees for a similar purpose.
This small room or chamber, which does...

Read the rest here: http://freemasonry.bcy.ca/texts/gmd1999/pondering.html

[moon monkey]

Decim

I have helped set one of these up. It is just a room. It contained a table, a chair, some salt and earth, I dont remember what else. It was dark, dont know if there was a candle or not, I think there was. It was not sound proofed.

Aren't you missing a few items there?

[stevepenny]

Aren't you missing a few items there?

Generally a Chamber of Reflection will contain the following:

A table, a human skull sometimes set on two crossbones, a lump of bread, a jug of water, a salt cellar, a cup with sulphur, a lit candle or a lantern, an hourglass, some paper, a mirror, ink and pen (or a biro in the modern version).

Again, and in general terms a wall cloth will be hung on which is depicted a chicken, a sythe or sickle, (or old Father Time), a chair and teh acronym V.I.T.R.I.O.L.(U.M.).

Symbolically they mean the following:

A table = a table.

Human Skull, Crossbones, sickle or sythe, and hourglass = Mortality

Bread and Water = Simplicity

Sulphur, Salt and the Chicken = Alchemy

V.I.T.R.I.O.L (U.M) = Visita interioraterrae, rectificandoque, invenies occultum lapidem. This translates as visit the interior of the earth, and rectifying it, you will find the hidden stone. The U.M. on the end means veram medicinam the true medicine.

Mirror = Reflection.

[stewart edwards]

V.I.T.R.I.O.L ...snip... = Visita interioraterrae, rectificandoque, invenies occultum lapidem. This translates as visit the interior of the earth, and rectifying it, you will find the hidden stone. [/I]
This single translation is one of the most important keys and signposts in life. For anyone who wants to see past the veils of life and access its hidden beauty, then try to get your mind around this phrase. It does accurately reflect what you need to do. But it is a very difficult thing to do, yet funnily enough once you do it it is also one of the easiest.

It may make no sense to some of you just now, but reflect hard on it over the years and it really could help you. I just wish that I had had this signpost twenty years ago.

[barney_rubble]

Seriously read this link http://freemasonry.bcy.ca/texts/gmd1999/pondering.html
it gives an excellent detailed description / history / symbolic explanation of the elements and the usages of the room.

It is really to much to cut and paste here.

[chris_com283]

Damn, that was a good read. Kind of reminds me of a dream I had a while back. Thanks for showing us the article, Barney.