Page 22 - August 2018

The Brazen Pillars f
The Mosaic Pavement And The Blazing Star t i
Jaime Paul Lamb e
a
The two Brazen Pillars of the Blue Lodge – one marking the solstices, as discussed above. A properly t
surmounted with the terrestrial globe, the other with oriented temple would thereby serve as a sort of
the celestial – are said to be representations of those annual, or seasonal, chronometer. This architecturally
on the porch of King Solomon’s Temple [The Holy deliberate phenomenon can be observed in many
Bible KJV, 1 Kings 7:13–22, 41–42]. They have an structures around the globe [Hiebert, Celestial and S
immediate precedent in the obelisks of Dynastic Mathematical Precision in Ancient Architecture, t
Egypt in that they fl ank the portal and do not support University of Manitoba, World-Mysteries.com, M
the roof. The presence of pillars or obelisks, as a retrieved on-line]. S
part of the architectural scheme of temples and other n
sacred structures, may be a symbolic allusion to the N
method by which many ancient temple structures were a
conjectured to have been aligned and subsequently t
squared. There are methods by which the shadows of
precisely two standing poles (raised perpendicularly
by means of a plumb line to stand at a right angle to
a level plane) may be used to determine the cardinal c
directions based both on diurnal sunlight and, more I
accurately, by the biannual occurrence of the solstices w
[Brown, Stellar Theology and Masonic Astronomy, t
Merchant Books, 2008, pp. 79-82]. Here we are again t
reminded of the Saints John, personifi cations of the w
solstices. h
i
As two parallel columns, they denote the zodiacal D
signs of Cancer and Capricorn, which were formerly E
placed in the chamber of initiation to represent 4
birth and death – the extremes of physical life. They p
accordingly signify the summer and winter solstices,
now known to Freemasons under the comparatively T
modern appellation of the two “Saint Johns” [sic]. r
[Hall, The Secret Teachings of All Ages, Dover, 2010
p. 262] The Blazing Star, a fi ve-pointed star usually within a
circle, is often depicted in the center of the Checkered
It has been suggested that mosaic patterns and tile- Pavement. This symbol is alternately said to represent
work on the fl oor of ancient temples, from which the the Sun, Sirius and Venus [Brown, Stellar Theology
Checkered Pavement found in many Masonic Lodge and Masonic Astronomy, Merchant Books, 2008, p.
rooms is descended, functioned not solely as aesthetic 59]. The Solar interpretation is obvious, in terms of
choices but also served as elaborate sundials [Brown, the Sun’s Masonic signifi cance as being the “glory
Stellar Theology and Masonic Astronomy, Merchant and beauty of the day,” et cetera, but the theory of
Books, 2008, p. 82]. Ancient architects utilized the the Blazing Star as a representation of either Venus
eff ects of sunlight in their designs not only to position or Sirius provides us with much more substance for
the edifi ce in space but also to accentuate its symbolic our contemplation. The Blazing Star’s relationship
import. The trajectory of sunlight was directed through to Venus (also anciently known as the Morning and/
the portals of a building at specifi ed angles depending or Evening Star) may best be illustrated by the fact
on the time of year, based on various astronomical that it is represented in the form of a pentagram. This
cycles, thus illuminating a certain area within the signifi cance comes primarily from the fact that Venus
temple and thereby marking temporally signifi cant traces a fi ve-petalled rosette at the completion of its
events such as the equinoxes and solstices. This could synodic period, which is 583.9211 days – the amount
be an elaboration on the same premise by which a of time it takes for the planet to return its originally
temple is squared – by the utilization of two pillars observed position, relative to that of the Sun, as seen

Page 22 Montana Freemason August 2018