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The North is Dark Rate Topic Display Mode Topic Options Author Message Terry Posted 09/02/2010 09:13 Master Group: Forum Members Last Login: 01/08/2010 02:55 Posts: 595, Visits: 757 Over several years I have come across this saying , but really dont understand it. The North is not Dark in Oz. I understand it is a northern Hemisphere peculiarity. From reading I have the following understanding of this, it is astronomical in nature and makes sense. However making sense does not answer the question and probably there is more than one answer. My understanding is thus, The sun rises in the east, sets in the west, and is at its zenith in the south, therefore the north is dark with no sun. If above is correct , why then is the south not dark in Oz?? So Bros, can you enlighten me on this matter Oh, and I know that the Secy and Tres sit in the North and in old operative lodges it was S.I.W's who sat there, so I am still none the wiser Regards Terry Tamworth 652 Australia Post #18331 lauderdale Posted 09/02/2010 09:32 Excellent Master Group: Forum Members Last Login: Today @ 15:19 Posts: 2,238, Visits: 4,270 I suppose this results from Freemasonry originating in the Northern Hemisphere. Even in these days of the world being shrunken to the size of a PC Mouse we still tend in literature, traditions etc to be biased towards the North, thus all the Christmas Carols which mention "The Winter Snow" or "The Deep Midwinter" which must sound very strange to those living in South Africa or Australia where it could be a midsummer heatwave on Xmas Day and it is spent on the beach clad only in swimwear. I wouldn't worry about it to be honest. I assume that having come from the Europe the words of Masonic Ritual have remained the same even in those Southern lands were matters differ in an astronomical sense. Post #18332 Russell Holland Posted 09/02/2010 23:34 Fellow Group: Forum Members Last Login: Today @ 01:20 Posts: 253, Visits: 1,581 It may not be a coincidence that most lodges do not place an officer's station in the North. LDH, however, place an empty chair in the North for the HOATF. This may throw some light upon the nature of the darkness in the North Post #18349 Pilgrim Posted 10/02/2010 01:24 Apprentice Group: Forum Members Last Login: 23/08/2010 22:00 Posts: 67, Visits: 120 Russell Holland (09/02/2010) It may not be a coincidence that most lodges do not place an officer's station in the North. LDH, however, place an empty chair in the North for the HOATF. In my experience not all lodges of LDH do this,and not all lodges acknowledge the HOATF. Post #18354 whistler Posted 10/02/2010 06:50 Apprentice Group: Forum Members Last Login: 13/08/2010 09:09 Posts: 72, Visits: 305 The North in our Lodge is a place of great mystery - we have an empty chair in the North - wonder if anybody unseen might sit on that chair ( Glad it's not me it is a hard Old Chair ) - when I think about it I can't remember any ritual that refers to it. I see it as a gateway - a gateway to what you may ask - and more important which way is the traffic through that gateway. The North is considered a place without light. Could that darkness hide some thing that is with our Lodge when it is built. The very concept of the darkness and the North every entwined - we all know that part of our ceremony when we are given light... but what we do with that light is important. Darkness is a state without something causing it - Light on the other hand requires something to create it. When our light is sufficiently developed - wonder what our light will reveal in the Darkness that is the North HGW Whistler Eastern order of International Co-freemasonry Auckland New Zealand "Truth All truths are Truths of Period and not truths for eternity. What has been truth for the time was and is as good as men are capable of receiving Post #18355 Mike Martin Posted 10/02/2010 07:09 Past Master Group: Administrators Last Login: Today @ 14:58 Posts: 1,374, Visits: 3,991 whistler (10/02/2010) The North in our Lodge is a place of great mystery As it is in our (UGLE) Lodges, it is where the Secretary and Treasurer sit. Mike The Freemasons' Grand Charity  My Mother Lodge website Join or just visit my Masonic Web Ring See my BALLS here Post #18357 Russell Holland Posted 10/02/2010 07:54 Fellow Group: Forum Members Last Login: Today @ 01:20 Posts: 253, Visits: 1,581 whistler (10/02/2010) wonder if anybody unseen might sit on that chair ................... I see it as a gateway Quite so Twice I have become aware of a being sitting in the chair in the dark part of the raising. Perhaps a gateway to a higher lodge Post #18358 Terry Posted 10/02/2010 08:45 Master Group: Forum Members Last Login: 01/08/2010 02:55 Posts: 595, Visits: 757 The cycle of the sun can be interpreted on many levels but in essence it is birth/youth/initiation (East), adulthood/strength/learning (South), old age/dying/wisdom (West) and death/darkness/assimilation (North). The north is the underworld whence we come and to where we return - and whence we come again. It's a symbolic cycle that originated in the northern hemisphere; had it originated in the southern hemisphere, the roles of north and south would have been reversed. But I believe that what matters is the allegorical significance rather than the astronomical or geographical reality. Regards Terry Tamworth 652 Australia Post #18359 whistler Posted 10/02/2010 09:38 Apprentice Group: Forum Members Last Login: 13/08/2010 09:09 Posts: 72, Visits: 305 Terry REF - The north is the underworld whence we come and who do we place in the North east Corner - HGW Whistler Eastern order of International Co-freemasonry Auckland New Zealand "Truth All truths are Truths of Period and not truths for eternity. What has been truth for the time was and is as good as men are capable of receiving Post #18362 seekeroftruth Posted 10/02/2010 10:23 Apprentice Group: Forum Members Last Login: Today @ 08:46 Posts: 41, Visits: 174 Hi Terry, in answer to your question (which I assume to be more astronomy oriented), you will find an interesting article on the following web page: http://stars.astro.illinois.edu/celsph.html the section that answers your question (regarding the North being dark in the Northern Hemisphere) is the one entitled "Sun and Seasons". In order however to fully appreciate it, I would advise you to also read the first two sections as there are technical terms that need to be kept in mind. As our rituals take the temple of Solomon which was located in the Northern Hemisphere, it makes scientific sense to state that the north side of it, is in shadow. I can see why brethren from the Southern Hemisphere would point out, that from their relative observer position, the North is always in light while their South is in shadow, but I would have to say that there is a mix up between the ritual and the philosophical concepts that it is trying to convey and astronomy. Hope this helps "Die Freimäurerei war immer" G. E. Lessing Post #18366 « Prev Topic | Next Topic »

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