The Chamber of Reflection By: Randall A. Sidwell The Chamber of Reflection: It has been addressed in many books and is still utilized in Lodges around the world. There are several variations regarding its content. My intent is to share my feelings, with this interpretive article, for the benefit of The Craft. There are slight variations as to the contents in a Chamber of Reflection. For this writing I will be using Brother Christopher L. Hodapp's book Deciphering The Lost Symbol for my basis as to The Chamber's content. On the table before him in the chamber are a lit candle, a skull and crossed tibiae (leg bones), an hourglass, bread and water, small bowls of sulfur and salt, a pen, and a piece of paper. In some chambers there is also an image of a rooster, and the word vitriol appears. 1 What is there to interpret? What meaning may it hold now? How may this writing benefit The Craft? I believe there is a great deal of application that can be made. Originally The Chamber of Reflection was found in The French and Scottish Rites. It was a small room adjacent to the Lodge room. The candidate was to contemplate what he was about to embark upon. He was to examine his motives as to why he was joining the fraternity. It was a quite place to meditate before his initiation. Johann Christian Gaedicke was the author of several Masonic works. He was initiated into Freemasonry in 1804. He commented on The Chamber of Reflection by saying: “It is only in solitude that we can deeply reflect upon our present or future undertakings, and blackness, darkness, or solitariness, is ever a symbol of death. A man who has undertaken a thing after mature reflection seldom turns back”. 2 I want us to reflect on our future and present undertakings as related to Masonry. In a day where
many men seem to have become comfortable with their labor in Masonry, may they be encouraged to build up their Masonic journey. May there be a multitude of men who will strengthen that which remains within their own Lodge.
The Skull and Crossbones The skull and crossbones has long been a representation of death. An existing reminder that each of face this ultimate ending. We must ever be mindful that we are only here on this earth for a season. When we are raised as a Master Mason this begins our individual Masonic travel. It could be said that after this wonderful event we now have a “dash”. The dash represents a period of time. On any grave marker there is the year one is born and the year they passed away. In between the two years there is a dash. It emblematically represents the period of time they were blessed with. The skull and crossbones reminds us of our own personal dash. The time after we are raised to the sublime degree of Master Mason until we go to The Lodge eternal; is our own personal “dash”, our own period of time. What will we do with our dash? How will we (Continued on page 44) www.twtmag.com
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