GRAVITAS

Raconteur, poet, journalist, lawyer, soldier, teacher; Albert Pike was a man of many facetes.  His work before the Supreme Court argued the treaty rights of American First Nations and faced down racism, genocide and raw political power with a conviction in the word of law and appearance of justice.  He was a man of his times. When Dr Albert McKey was desparate for help writing the ritual for  Scottish Rite, he turned to Col Pike, whose work has been tough for readers to digest because it requires exceptional dissection.

                                                              If you have been thus disappointed, our labour has been in vain

                                   Whether these degrees have for you a real value depends upon your capacity to understand them

                                       And upon the amount of study and the degree of reflection you have bestowed upon them

  He brings a call for those committed to preserving the landmarks, who have embraced as their own the attitudes of the Antient Charges. No one can be compelled to change, yet as Pike reminds us, we take  to the grave what we have learned. If we do not share that learning, it is then lost.  We should be aware that the deeper lessons, the knowledge of freemasonry is at risk if we who are starving for knowledge  do not willingly commit to our apprenticeship.  No barrier is enough to make us fail. But move forward we will with respect as Antients sharing the feast.