In speculative masonry we are often beset with all the various symbols of the craft. We may often forget to take a closer look at the various symbolic meanings of our wonderful fraternity and the invaluable lessons that it teaches us. Some of these symbols, in comparison with others, are seemingly well explained in lodge and with the various work that we do with one another both personally and fraternally. Other symbols however are rather peculiar in our craft because they seem to be thrown into the mix of everything with relatively little explanation. One group of symbols, in particular, comes to mind. These are the four cardinal virtues given.

The four cardinal virtues are introduced to us in the first degree and several allusions are made as to their connection with the craft. There is mentioned “the perfect points of entrance” and the virtues are variously explained, but other than that we are left scratching our heads saying to ourselves, “What does it all mean?” In attempt to reveal some of the meaning of these virtues let us examine virtue in general, its meaning and how it pertains to us as masons and as men.

Throughout time, since the dawn of philosophy, man has been pitted in a war of duality with his higher nature and his lower animalistic instincts. Since the advent of civilization, man has striven to perfect himself and to become harmonious with the various environments he interacts with. Those qualities that enable man to perfect himself and promote the collective wellbeing of society are deemed good and considered a virtue. The qualities that destroy man and society are deemed bad and considered a vice. We as speculative masons strive for moral excellence and wellbeing in life. It is therefore important for us, as masons, to know the rule and guide of our conduct as laid down by the virtues presented to us in the craft.

The history of virtue spans all the long ages of civilization but we, as masons, are interested in the virtues that are pertinent to us in the craft. Depending on where you live and the contexts of the culture you live in virtue can differ, but the foundation of virtue (as it pertains to us) which is also the foundation of various ways we think as westerners started in ancient Greece.

It was Plato (and most likely his teacher Socrates) who first enumerated the four cardinal virtues and put them into writing. It was these virtues that he viewed would be the foundation of a perfected and ideal state. These cardinal virtues were temperance, prudence, fortitude and justice. They would be expanded upon by in later years by the church in which the theological virtues would be added to make the seven virtues we know today. The three theological virtues are faith, hope, and charity (sound familiar?).

As masons we enjoy connecting the various dots in life by the use of allegory and symbolism. Let us take a look at these virtues in the spirit of speculative masonry and see how they connect to us practically and esoterically. Let us look at the virtues to see what they can teach us about life in the pursuit of perfection inwardly and outwardly.

Temperance is that virtue or trait in which we moderate or actions, thoughts or feelings. This allows us to manage our minds and bodies with ease so that we may put these tools to productive means. This virtue is common across all cultures and it is necessary because as humans we have limited resources and time on this planet which must be put to good use lest it be lost by carelessness or by the improper use of time. In Buddhism it is part of the eightfold path and necessary in the path to enlightenment. One of the Buddha’s first teachings was, “The path to liberation is the opposite of both ends of extreme. It is the middle way.” In Christianity and in classic Greek philosophy it is a core virtue and is held in the up most importance in living a morally sound life.

Esoterically the element connected with temperance is fire. When we learn to control fire we learn to put it to productive means. The root word of temperance is temper. You cannot temper metal without fire. You cannot temper the mind without the friction of the world. Temperance therefore is the restraint employed that controls the internal fires. If we connect this to man this would be the generative parts of man and, when we control these energies it makes you creative, vigorous, and industrious. If these energies are not controlled you are wasted and become a slave unto the momentum of the world.

In lodge temperance is represented by the junior warden. As the junior warden presides over the refreshment and merriment of the brothers in the craft, it his is duty to employ temperance while he attends to his brothers from labor to refreshment. Temperance’ direction is south and it esoterically connects to the lower parts of man if we situate the symbolic man due north and south.

The perfect point of entrance is the guttural or the throat. As this is the passage to the consumption of food and beverage, and from whence we make sounds that construct our language, temperance is the gate keeper which keeps a watchful eye on the things that would lead to intemperance and excess by means of consumption and conversation.

The second cardinal virtue we examine is prudence. Prudence is the act of exercising sound judgment. You cannot exercise sound judgment without wisdom, knowledge and insight. Therefore, prudence is the father of all virtues as stated by Saint Thomas Aquinas because you must employ yourself in the study of the world and of God in order to gain wisdom, knowledge and insight. Prudence is the perfected ability of man to deal in the world with the various circumstances that he is faced with.

Esoterically the element of prudence is water. The fluid nature of water allows for its freedom in taking the various shapes of the containers it fills. This is important because prudence needs the functionally flexibility of mind to be employed properly when the need arises by the various circumstances an individual may face.

In lodge prudence is represented by the worshipful master. Prudence is that trait by which he harmonizes his lodge and runs it with efficiency. Because the virtue of prudence is represented by the worshipful master its direction is east.

To connect it to the symbolic body of man we must arrange the body of man due north and south. If we do this then prudence is represented by the left half of man. This is deemed the weaker part of man and therefore, because of this vulnerability, prudence must be employed when dealing with the more vulnerable aspects of man’s life which are subject to conflict, confusion and chaos.

Prudence connects us to God above and allows us to govern our world with wisdom and foresight below. So, it all goes back to the hermetic adage, “As above, so below.” We can govern and act in the world according to our higher nature, not our lower.

Prudence’ perfect point of entrance is the manual and alludes to the hands. The hands here are symbolic of the tools and resources we have and by being placed upon the holy bible we imbue these tools with the holy power of God by which we can employ them in laudable undertakings. Prudence is the guidance for which these tools will be employed.

Fortitude is the ability to confront fear, pain, risk, danger and the other obstacles in life. It allows us to stand up and face those things that oppose us and this requires strength. It has been exemplified by various sages all across time. It was exemplified by Zoroaster when he took a morally upright stance on personal conduct. It was exemplified by Christ when he triumphed over sin. It was shown to us by Buddha by the path he took to reach enlightenment. Mohamed displayed fortitude when he confronted his various enemies all the way to Mecca. In masonry Hiram displays fortitude as he tries to make his escape from the temple and is assailed by various ruffians. You cannot perfect yourself in life and insure the collective wellness of society without the fortitude necessary to face the challenges and evils assailing you from the inner and outer worlds you deal with.

The element connected with this virtue is earth. The solid nature of earth allows it to stand its ground and withstand the abuse placed upon it by the other elements. It has no movement of its own and therefore endures with patience and strength. The officer connected to this virtue is the senior warden.

The senior warden is the pillar of strength for which the lodge is built upon. Fortitude requires strength and while being the senior warden, fortitude is a quality necessary to strengthen the lodge by executing the wishes of the worshipful master and dealing with the various obstacles from the craft such as degree work. The senior warden enables the lodge to confidently meet all the challenges facing lodge with strength and courage.

Since fortitude is represented by the senior warden and requires strength its direction is west and makes up the right half of man which is the stronger half of man. The extension of the right half of man is the right hand, which we deem in masonry, the seat of fidelity. Since fidelity requires character and is contrary to cunning survival, it requires fortitude in order to be employed.

Connecting the right and left halves of the body is the generative and the contemplative nature of God and man. In order to bring forth in the universe there must be strength of will. The right half of the esoteric man represents strength, the generative aspects of God. The contemplative nature or womb of God allows man to contemplate his surroundings and his glorious creator by observation and reflection. If man wasn’t able to be acted upon then he could not reflect upon his nature and on creation. To be acted upon and influenced by our higher nature, we must be vulnerable. This is why the left half of man’s symbolic body is weaker. It is the snake consuming its own tail. It is the balance of the divine masculine and the divine feminine. It is the yin and the yang.

The perfect point of entrance for fortitude is the pectoral. When you were received upon the point of a sharp implement piercing your naked left breast and when you were hoodwinked and led by a brother mason around the lodge, it was the peculiar trait of fortitude that enabled you to move forward in the craft. The chest contains the heart and it is the heart that is the symbolic seat of fortitude and compassion.

The last of the cardinal virtues is justice. It is perhaps the most abstract and peculiar virtue of the cardinal virtues because it is something, by nature, that is unnatural in a strictly temporal world. Justice is the virtue that is the moderation of selfishness and selflessness. It enables a man to know what is entitled to him by right in the world and what the price, responsibility and obligation he has to those who provide that entitlement. Charity, one of the theological virtues of man, regulates justice and enables man to contribute beyond what is necessary in society. Without justice there is oppression and desolation. The stronger and more violent man takes more than what is deemed necessary by nature and his brothers and without justice he cannot sustain a civilization.

The element of justice is air. It is the most free of all the elements and doesn’t discriminate between circumstance, container or fuel available. Air moves regardless and moves upon the face of the earth as it likes with relative ease.

There is no officer in lodge that represents justice because justice is above that of any man. It is God and God alone that judges the weight of a man’s actions and deems them worthy. It is by the law of God that we seek to live a morally excellent life.

Justice’ direction is north because in lodge no one sits in the north and it is a seat reserved for the light of God and remains dark until his return. Since the north is deemed a place of darkness it also represents the blindness of justice that heeds to no worldly wealth or honors but only to that of the law of the land and the law of God.

Esoterically, it represents upper half of man’s symbolic body because the upper half contains both the heart and the seat of the mind: the brain. These symbolic organs make up the great faculties of man such as the intellect and compassion. It enables us to be beyond the harsh grasp of nature by the virtue of charity, hope and faith.

The perfect point of entrance is the pedal which alludes to the vehicle which has brought you hence forth to this point where the master of the lodge was enabled to give you the rule and guide for which you were strictly charged to act and uphold the laws and secrets of masonry.

In masonry and as men we must seek the rule and guide of our higher nature; therefore, the virtues of man become the working tools in which we can use to employ ourselves in the world with all our laudable undertakings. This is practical because without virtue, all the wonders and beauties of society wouldn’t be possible. We would delve into endless selfishness until society would be utterly destroyed. Brotherly love would not be possible and the higher ideals and laws of which this great country has been built upon wouldn’t exist. Let us use these four cardinal virtues, supported by the three theological virtues to perfect ourselves in the craft. Let us aspire as masons and as men to find the balance between our higher faculties and their employment in the world by the tools we have. By the guide of virtue let us live a powerful and meaningful life.

Resources:

1.)    The Grand Lodge of Colorado, The Clear Key Text, pgs. 67-74, Grand Lodge of Colorado A.F. & A.M., Colorado Springs, CO, 2009

2.)    “Justice, Prudence, Temperance, and Fortitude: The Cardinal Virtues”, www.encyclopedia.com, separate articles, 2010

1.)    Manley Palmer Hall, Secret Teachings of All Ages. Published by Penguin Group

2.)    Shantideva, The Way of the Bodhisattva. Published by Shambala 

3.)    Henry Cornelius Agrippa, The Books of Occult Philosophy. Published by Llewellyn    Worldwide