Fragments of an Initiatory Reality

Introduction

This ideogram represents some symbolical instruments of the Blue Freemasonry.
The Square is the symbol used to represent the harmonious development of the rational mind through the speculative arts and humanistic sciences.

The Compass , open to several degrees, represents the opening of intelligence , through intuition and ability to mentally link concepts that are apparently different and separated. This develops the logic of the mind.

The Plumb line represents the subtle inner line called the conscience bridge that links the leaden man (material) to the golden man (spiritual). This Line is the narrow Path of the initiate (in opposition to the large path of the profane). It is a Path that leads man from the emotional Chaos of passion to the quiet and detached wisdom of inner order.

The restoration of an inner order is called Initiation. In order to interpret the letter G we must refer to the Platonic assumption that « God geometrizes any form of the universe when creating ».

The Sphere is placed at the top of the symbol of intelligence and represents the superior conscience of man in which the Pure Reason is. The sphere contains an equilateral Triangle , taken as a speculative image of the principle of perfection that Freemasonry derived from the Great Architect of the Universe , representation of the spiritual Principle himself.

« Nostra nos sine comparatione delectent: nunquam erit felix quem torquebit felicior » * Seneca

*Let's appreciate our things without making comparisons: the man who is upset by the life of someone who's happier than him will never be happy.

The conflict between objective reality, subjective vision and personal opinion.

« The mind opposes concept to intuition. The intuition is the psychic function of the senses, whilst the concept is the psychic function of the intellect. Whilst intuition is the synthetic understanding of the object that has been thought of, the concept always refers to a plurality of objects ». Kant

The normal conflict between an objective reality and the subjective vision of the individual arises because every objective reality, although limited with regard to the radical idea from which it originates ( the archetype ), is once again divided by the observer into more parts, formally separated. This mental process is called specialization.

Specialization allows a mind, that is unable to elaborate a synthetic vision ( comprehensive vision ), to take single sectors of concepts otherwise too vast to be closed in the limits of one's own sensations. This means that because of the limits imposed by the subjective vision , the fragmentation of a conceptual reality will never allow a thought to keep an invariable size. The interpretation that results from a subjective vision, on the contrary, will vary a lot from an individual to another, because of the different intelligence that characterizes them.

It is understandable why, then, for each event there are always many truths originated by the diversity with which the same reality or event have been perceived and interpreted from their witnesses' sensitivity. Since there will be many truths, there will also be many and opposed conclusions. From this assumption originates the conflicts of opinions that divides and opposes man's thoughts. This is a kind of conflict that afflicts the single individual as well; he will suffer the contraposition of several natures that express several levels of conscience.

In every circumstance the divergences of thought are originated by the different sensitivities of tone and emotional color of the observer, whose conclusions, result of his own personal vision, will be necessarily considered personal opinions and therefore debatable.

Furthermore, every subjective vision brings another limiting factor: every fragment of reality, in its specification of separated entity, can end up being considered complete by the observer, so much to be considered concluded even in the limits of a simple personal convincement.

The unconscious specification is a symptom of superficiality. The conscious specification is necessary for a mind keen on penetrating every detail in a vast complex of ideas. This occurs also because of the multiplicity* of the initiatory reality that is divided in order to analyze it and ends up by being fixed in fragments.

* The problem of the logical justification of the multiplicity as opposed to unity was pointed out in ancient Greece by the philosopher Elea, who thought that multiplicity is the characteristic property of a sensitive world as opposed to the unity of the Being. According to Parmenides, through the multiplicity we can reach an opinion ( doxa ), whilst the true knowledge includes the understanding of the One as a representation of the Synthesis. The ability of synthesis is one of the first virtues of the Initiate.

In a mental vision unable of synthesis, the multiplicity of the parts leads to the formation of conceptual islands, separate and unable to reveal the source of their meaning. This makes the correct result of the research difficult to reach. The researcher, then, will have to patiently put together every fragment in its right shape to find in their sum the essential truthfulness otherwise unidentifiable.

The sum of all the parts will always let through a conclusion that is substantially different from those deducible from the single parts. If we acknowledge the consistency of this statement we will avoid absorbing schematic and partial visions in our thoughts and we will try and give integrity back to every reality we get in contact with.

With a little humor we might compare the division of a central theme into several complementary fragments, as we did for the initiation, to what happens in the kitchen if we care only about herbs and spices without considering the roast, which is the most important part; we need the various seasonings only to make the substance tastier. The researcher, then, will avoid thinking of subjects such as esoterical catechism, ceremonials, ethics and initiatory moral, symbology or any other fragments we can find in an initiatory system; they are all separate and independent realities, extracted by the radical idea which every adept should re-join. That idea is indubitably initiation.

« The concept is the knowledge of the Idea from the human mind ». Plato

In the sphere of opinions in which every adept is plunged, he might wonder how many interpretations the meaning of his initiation has been fragmented into. How many parts his initiatory reality has been divided into in order to conciliate usages, customs and sensitivity of men so different from each other? Perhaps in 33 fragments like Freemasonry and Scottish Rite? If this is the case, will it be possible to restore the final meaning of initiation starting from the common consideration that acknowledges those 33 representations like independent assemblies, apparently disjointed in logic and meaning? Isn't it truer that this meaning is of a synthetic kind and it will reappear only through the functional re-joining of each of its parts? If this is true, though, in the re-composing of the sense of the 33 assemblies, we must remember that their deep link is neither linear nor subsequent as it may look. The complex geometry of their relations is, to say so, asymmetrical, with a trend that reminds the movement of the horse in a game of chess.

There is a final question that strengthens the need to give the right geometry back to the relations. How is it possible to reintegrate the initiatory meaning of the ritual pyramid without considering the exoterical interpretations that deform it, if the common Freemason has the negligence to omit from his process of knowledge a relevant number of those 33 partial initiatory assemblies?

This should be a serious starting point to reflect on one's own initiatory destiny for all those who are looking for an initiation that is not only symbolic, in a Freemasonry suffering from all the ties of a reformed and exoterical System.

«All religions and sciences lead back to a unique Science, always hidden to the common multitude and transmitted from age to age, from Initiate to initiate, under the veil of tales and symbols. In this way the secrets of a past world are preserved for a future world. It was called Royal Science and Sacerdotal Science, because it raised the Initiates to the degree of King (The Man who rules the inferior Elements) and Pontiff (The Man that is the Bridge between physical and metaphysical). This Science, in the Bible, was represented by Melchizedek, mysterious and peaceful character, king and eternal priest, who had neither a father nor a mother, nor genealogy. Because the Initiate is by himself like Truth ». Abbot Louis Constant (Eliphas Levi).

Athos A. Altomonte