The Mason's Apron

One of my favorite symbols in Masonry is the Apron. Upon being initiated an Entered Apprentice, a Mason is first given a Lambskin or White Leathern Apron. This investiture takes place before the new brother is taught about working tools or set to work with Masonic Philosophy - in fact, a Mason is not considered properly clothed until he dons his apron. Upon being invested with his apron, a new brother might hear words similar to these,

...It is an emblem of innocence and the badge of a mason...Let its pure and
spotless surface be to you a never ending argument for higher thoughts, nobler
deeds, and greater achievements,...may the record of your life and actions be as
spotless as this fair emblem I place in your hands tonight...

Since hearing those words, I have been enamored with Masonic Philosophy and have had a soft place for the Apron.

I finally have been able to get a Master Mason Apron after three years of being one (simply, I couldn't afford one til now). This masterpiece is the handiwork of P. Marty Martineau, and 100% created to my desires. Here I will take some time to explain why I went with every little thing.

-The first thing a person notices is the color. Instead of a dark, royal blue I went with a more subdued, grey-blue color which I have seen listed as Silver Mist. The blue is for Blue Lodge Masonry of course, but just as the search to understand Blue Lodge Philosophy takes time, so too does the discovery of the blue of my apron.

-Next is the Square and Compasses surrounded by the Wreath. The Square and Compasses is the universal symbol of Blue Lodge Masonry. No matter what other body or organization I join, I will always be first and foremost a Master Mason of a Blue Lodge. The Wreath alludes to a portion of the Apron Lecture,

It may be that in the coming years upon your head shall rest the laurel leaves
of victory...But never again until your enfranchised spirit shall have passed
upward and inward through the pearly gates, shall any honor so distinguished, so
emblematic of purity and all perfection be bestowed upon you as this which I
now confer.

In my opinion, to achieve the rank of Master Mason, and truly try to live up to the lessons that Blue Lodge Masonry teaches is truly the victory of a lifetime.

-One the bib or flap is the All Seeing Eye of God. The All Seeing Eye is one of my all time favorite symbols. By it we are reminded that God sees everything and that nothing can be hidden from His view. But I also feel that it symbolizes the fact that our Father in Heaven is always present, not only does he see the things that we would like to keep hidden but also the things that make us proud and happy - the reality that He truly is our Father.

-Customary on English and Scottish Aprons but generally not seen on American Aprons are the rosettes. I chose rosettes for Alchemical significance. Rosette literally means "little rose" and they are meant to be fabric representations of the flower. Alchemically, rose gardens are symbols of sacred spaces and/or meditation chambers. In Christian Alchemy the Rose is a symbol for the union between man and God. Also, the rose is a symbol of secrecy - in Hermetic organizations, hanging roses from the ceiling indicated that the discussions were to be kept secret.

I love my new Apron and what it means to me!

The Black Pot!

There is a classic, traditional style of cooking in the American West, especially in Utah. It came across the plains with the Mormon Pioneers, could be found in propsecting camps, and hanging from chuckwagons on cattle drives on the prairie. It is the classic, Cast Iron Dutch Oven.

I love cookin in my Dutch Ovens! In fact, I have been around Dutch Ovens for as long as I can remember. It sort of comes with the territory of being the heir to a Dutch Oven Empire - okay in reality something more akin to being the heir to a Dutch Oven province or county. My grandfather and father invented the Mair Dutch Oven Lid Lifter and Dutch Ovens have been part of my life ever since.

Today I went and purchased a new Dutch Oven, that brings my total up to 5 + 4 that I will inheirit when my grandfather passes away. Somehow I just can't get enough Cast Iron to fit in my small, one bedroom apartment! I figured I needed the new Oven due to the fact that I am cooking Father's Day dinner tomorrow and I have requests from every father that will be in attendance as well as the fact that my wife's birthday is on Monday and she is making requests as well. I needed a new 10 inch Camp Chef Dutch Oven anyway, right?

Anyway, I will be posting recipes, tips, processes, and basically anything that comes with the Black Pot!

Mysticism?

As mentioned previously, I am a student of mysticism. Mysticism "is the pursuit of communion with, identity with, or conscious awareness of an ultimate reality, divinity, spiritual truth, or God through direct experience, intuition, instinct or insight. Mysticism usually centers on a practice or practices intended to nurture those experiences or awareness." (Wikipedia) The mystic is one who endeavors to have those experiences and awareness of the Divine.

By being L.D.S. (Mormon) I inherently believe that we can have those experiences which bring us into a direct awareness of Divinity and the Ultimate Reality; the First Vision, The Restoration of the Priesthood, the Kirtland Temple, etc. With that belief, I have taken and am currently taking different paths to achieve that end. This is not to suggest that I have left the Faith, rather I am trying to open up every avenue possible to achieve Divine communion while grounding myself in the Faith.

I am a Freemason, Alchemist, Astrologer, Philosopher. I study Rosicrucianism, Kabbalah, and all esotericisms. And how do I reconcile this with my religion? Two scriptural references should answer that question precisely. The first is found in the Doctrine and Covenants, Section 91:

Verily, thus saith the Lord unto concerning the Apocrypha - There are many
things contained therein that are true, and it is mostly translated
correctly;
There are many things contained therein that are not true, which are not
true, which are interpolations by the hands of men.
Verily, I say unto you, that it is not needful that the Apocrypha should be
translated.
Therefore, whoso readeth it, let him understand, for the Spirit manifesteth
truth;
And whoso is enlightened by the Spirit shall obtain benefit
therefrom;
And whoso receiveth not by the Spirit, cannot be benefited. Therefore
it is not needful that it should be translated. Amen.

The Apocrypha is a set of non-canonical writings which the early Catholic Church deemed important even if their legitimacy could not be authenticated. The Apocrypha, esoterica, was revealed by the Lord to be a valid study and benefit to those who study it. This argument can be made for all esotericism.

Also, in the 13th Article of Faith,

We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing
good to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul - We
believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to
be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of
good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.

The many avenues of mysticism are virtuous, lovely and of good report. And they are congruous with being a thoughtful member of the L.D.S. Faith.

I truly enjoy the study of mysticism, and will be posting here on the any small things that I learn through my studies.

Howdy!

My name is Col. Chubbs, okay - it's not but for all intents and purposes it is. While in High School one of my closest friends, a man who I still look up to, gave me my nickname and it stuck. During that time in my life I went through quite a transformation which continues to dictate who I am today.

So who am I? I'm married, L.D.S., a Mason, an Autism Specialist/Lead Teacher at a private school for children with Autism, student, back-porch philosopher, Root Beer Brewer, Dutch Oven Gourmet, Motorcycle Enthusiast, friend - I'm Col. Chubbs!

Before, I have had blogs dedicated to my many hobbies, trying to separate my interests from one another to more clearly dedicate time to them. As I have discovered though, that every one of my hobbies and interests dictate who I am and cannot be separated. So here is this blog, a compendium of all of my interests and hobbies. I will be blogging about Mormonism, Masonry, Root Beer, Motorcycles, Dutch Ovens, Philosophy, Autism, etc.

So come on back for some of my ramblings!