Pendle Lodge of Freemasons

It’s not often we have a lecture at Pendle Lodge, but when we do its very well received and the brethren usually have a splendid time, and last nights lecture on “Preparing the Candidate for Initiation” was no exception.

W.Bro Coupe, mentor extraordinaire,  presented a very well researched lecture on the subject and raised several eyebrows with his interpretation of many of the normally well understood symbols and acts that take place in the preparation and

entrance of any candidate. Reminding us all of the fact that in the early 17th Century when Elias Ashmole was reportedly initiated in Freemasonry in Warrington, it was still the norm to believe in witchcraft and that the usual and favored weapon to hand in those days was a knife, so slitting someones throat and removing the tongue was a very realistic and often carried out threat. Not that it holds any relevance in today’s craft apart from symbolic that is.

W.Bro. Jack Thompson volunteered to be prepared as a candidate so that newly initiated brother Ian Duxbury could be reminded of how he was recently received into the lodge room and hopefully help him understand some of the relevance of the ceremony.

Walter went on the discuss the Cable Tow and its meaning  and how that symbol had possibly come into Freemasonry. Many of the familiar symbols and actions were covered and the brethren enjoyed raising questions against almost every item in the lecture. It took the Worshipful Master to end the session and bring the lodge back under his control.

Our social board afterwards was full of discussion on symbolism and the meaning of various signs and actions, all in all a very enjoyable evening and one in which many of us learnt  a little  more about our own initiation ceremony