Black Hawk Lodge #65

06/15/2026

Why Were Fellow Crafts Paid in the Middle Chamber?

A Lesson Hidden in the Place of Reward.The Fellow Craft Degree presents one of the most fascinating scenes in all of Freemasonry.

After ascending the Winding Stairs, passing between the great pillars, and proving himself worthy of advancement, the Fellow Craft arrives at the Middle Chamber.

There, symbolically, he receives his wages. But have we ever paused to ask a deeper question? Why were the wages paid in the Middle Chamber? Why not at the entrance to the Temple?
Why not at the foot of the stairs? Why not immediately after the labor was completed? Why the Middle Chamber?

As with all Masonic symbolism, the location itself contains a lesson. A lesson as relevant today as it was centuries ago.
The Middle Chamber teaches us that the greatest rewards in life are not found at the beginning of the journey. They are discovered only after effort, perseverance, and growth.

The Fellow Craft was not paid merely because he entered the Temple. He was paid because he labored. He ascended. He sought. He advanced. The symbolism is clear:
Reward follows preparation. The world often promotes a different philosophy. Many seek rewards without labor.
Recognition without sacrifice. Authority without responsibility.
Success without discipline.

But Masonry teaches that meaningful rewards are earned through faithful work. The climb comes before the wages.
The effort comes before the reward. The lesson extends beyond the degree. In life, the most valuable rewards are rarely immediate. Wisdom is earned through years of study. Character is developed through adversity. Trust is built through consistency. Respect is earned through honorable conduct.

These are wages that cannot be obtained instantly. They are received only after a man has climbed his own symbolic staircase. Yet there is another reason the wages were paid in the Middle Chamber. The Chamber itself occupies a unique position. It is neither the entrance nor the innermost sanctuary.
It stands between beginning and completion. Between initiation and mastery. Between ignorance and fuller understanding.
This is significant.

The Fellow Craft receives his wages not at the end of his journey, but in the midst of it. What a profound lesson.
Masonry teaches that growth itself contains rewards.
A man need not wait until perfection to receive blessings from his labor. Every lesson learned is a wage. Every virtue developed is a wage. Every weakness overcome is a wage. Every act of service is a wage.

The Middle Chamber reminds us that the journey toward Light contains its own rewards along the way. Too often, we postpone fulfillment. We tell ourselves we will be satisfied when we achieve a certain goal, receive a certain title, or reach a certain milestone. But Masonry suggests something different.

The rewards of faithful labor are already being paid. Not only at the destination. But throughout the journey. And perhaps this is the greatest lesson of all. The Middle Chamber is not merely a place where wages are received.

It is a reminder that every stage of sincere growth brings its own compensation. The Mason who studies becomes wiser.
The Mason who serves becomes stronger. The Mason who reflects becomes more enlightened.

The wages begin accumulating long before the journey is complete.

A Question for Reflection

If the Middle Chamber represents the stage between beginning and completion, what wages are you receiving from your Masonic labor right now?

And if the true rewards of Masonry are wisdom, character, and understanding, have you recognized the wages already being placed into your hands—or are you still waiting for a reward that has been there all along?

This reflection is humbly offered for Masonic education and fraternal discussion. Brethren may freely share this material for educational purposes.

Fraternally,
Bro. Joni Cabrera
General Llanera Masonic Lodge No. 168, F. & A.M.
Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Free & Accepted Masons of the Philippines

06/13/2026

What Stands Between the Two Pillars?

A Forgotten Lesson at the Entrance to Wisdom

Among the most striking symbols encountered in the Fellow Craft Degree are the two great pillars. Majestic. Imposing.
Rich with history and meaning. For centuries, Masons have contemplated their symbolism and admired their beauty.

Yet an important question is rarely asked: What stands between the two pillars? At first glance, the answer appears simple.
A candidate passes between them. A craftsman walks through them. A Mason enters beyond them. But symbolism always invites us to look deeper.

The pillars are not merely architectural features. They represent principles. Lessons. Forces that support and sustain the spiritual Temple we are called to build within ourselves.
They stand as silent sentinels at the threshold of advancement.
And every threshold presents a choice. The space between the pillars is not empty.It is occupied by something profoundly important:

The Mason himself.

Think about it.

The pillars do not move.

The candidate does.

The symbols remain fixed.

The man must decide whether he will advance. Whether he will seek. Whether he will grow. Whether he will labor. The pillars mark the entrance to greater Light, but they cannot compel anyone to enter. That decision belongs entirely to the individual.

How many men admire wisdom but never pursue it? How many praise virtue but fail to practice it? How many stand at the threshold of growth yet refuse to take the next step? The pillars remind us that opportunities for advancement are always present.

The challenge is whether we are willing to pass between them.
There is another lesson hidden within this symbolism. The pillars stand in balance. Strength and establishment. Power and stability. Action and restraint. Conviction and wisdom. Life itself requires balance.

Too much strength without wisdom becomes tyranny. Too much knowledge without character becomes arrogance. Too much ambition without morality becomes corruption.

The Mason who walks between the pillars is symbolically walking a path of equilibrium. A path that avoids extremes.
A path that seeks harmony between intellect and virtue. Between learning and humility. Between confidence and self-control. This lesson remains relevant long after the degree has been completed.

Every day, we encounter symbolic pillars. Choices between anger and patience. Between selfishness and service. Between pride and humility. Between ignorance and understanding.
The question is never whether the pillars exist. The question is what we choose when we stand between them. For standing between the pillars is standing at a crossroads.

A place where every Mason must decide what kind of man he wishes to become. And perhaps that is the greatest lesson of all.
The pillars do not define the Mason. The Mason defines himself by the choices he makes while standing between them.

A Question for Reflection

If the two pillars represent the gateway to greater Light, wisdom, and understanding, what stands between them today?

Is it a Mason actively advancing toward knowledge and self-improvement—

Or merely a man admiring the entrance without ever stepping through it?

This reflection is humbly offered for Masonic education and fraternal discussion. Brethren may freely share this material for educational purposes.

Fraternally,
Bro. Joni Cabrera
General Llanera Masonic Lodge No. 168, F. & A.M.
Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Free & Accepted Masons of the Philippines

06/12/2026

Three, Five, Seven:
Mere Numbers or a Blueprint for Masonic Growth?

Three. Five. Seven.

At first glance, they appear to be ordinary numbers. Simple figures that a child can count and recite. Yet within the Fellow Craft Degree, these numbers occupy a place of extraordinary importance. They stand upon the Winding Stairs.

They guide the candidate’s symbolic ascent. They form part of one of the most beautiful allegories in Freemasonry. But an important question deserves our consideration: Are these merely ritual numbers—or do they reveal a blueprint for Masonic growth?

Many men encounter these numbers during the degree and remember them only as part of the ceremony. Yet Masonry rarely teaches mathematics for its own sake. Its numbers are intended to educate the mind while illuminating the soul.

The symbolism of Three, Five, and Seven invites us to reflect upon the stages of personal development. The number Three reminds us of foundations. Nothing lasting can be built without a proper foundation. Every structure depends upon stability.
Every Mason depends upon principles.

Without a firm moral foundation, advancement becomes impossible. Knowledge without virtue becomes dangerous.
Authority without integrity becomes corruption. Success without character becomes failure disguised as achievement.

The lesson is clear: Before we climb, we must first be grounded.
Then comes Five. The number often associated with the human experience of learning and perception. The world enters the mind through observation, reflection, and understanding.

A Fellow Craft is encouraged to study.

To think.

To question.

To investigate.

To cultivate his intellectual faculties.

Freemasonry does not ask a man to stop thinking. It challenges him to think more deeply. The Middle Chamber is reached not by ignorance, but by effort. The wages of knowledge are earned through labor. And then comes Seven. Perhaps the most intriguing of the three.

Throughout history, seven has been associated with completeness, perfection, and spiritual fulfillment. It symbolizes the harmonious union of knowledge, wisdom, and moral character. The lesson is profound.

A man may possess information and still lack wisdom. He may be educated and yet remain immature. He may accumulate facts while neglecting virtue. The goal of Masonry is not simply to create knowledgeable men. It is to create wise men.
Men whose intellect is guided by conscience. Men whose learning serves humanity. Men whose pursuit of Light leads them toward truth and goodness.

Viewed in this way, the numbers reveal a pattern. Three teaches us what to stand upon. Five teaches us how to learn.Seven teaches us what to become.

Foundation.

Education.

Wisdom.

The Winding Stairs are not merely a path through the degree. They are a path through life. Yet there is another question worth asking. Many Masons can explain the symbolism of Three, Five, and Seven.

Far fewer can say they are actively living it. We admire the numbers. We memorize the lessons. But have we applied them?
Have we strengthened our foundations? Have we disciplined our minds? Have we transformed knowledge into wisdom?
For the true purpose of Masonic symbolism is not information.
It is transformation.

The numbers were never meant merely to be remembered. They were meant to be lived.

A Question for Reflection

If Three represents your foundation, Five your pursuit of knowledge, and Seven your attainment of wisdom—

Which step of the symbolic staircase are you truly standing upon today?

And are you still climbing, or have you mistaken the staircase itself for the destination?

This reflection is humbly offered for Masonic education and fraternal discussion. Brethren may freely share this material for educational purposes.

Fraternally,
Bro. Joni Cabrera
General Llanera Masonic Lodge No. 168, F. & A.M.
Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Free & Accepted Masons of the Philippines

06/12/2026

If No Coin Was Given,
Why Do We Call Them Wages?

When most people hear the word wages, they think of money.
A paycheck. A salary. A reward deposited into a bank account.
In the world outside the Lodge, wages are measured by what a man receives in exchange for his labor.

But in the Fellow Craft Degree, a fascinating question emerges:
If no coin was given, why do we call them wages? The answer may reveal one of the deepest lessons in all of Freemasonry.
The wages of a Fellow Craft were never intended to be material.

They were symbolic. Yet that symbolism points to something more valuable than gold or silver. For what is wealth if a man lacks wisdom? What is prosperity if a man lacks character?
What is success if a man has gained the world but lost himself?

The ancient craftsmen labored upon a magnificent structure, but the lesson of Masonry is that the true Temple was never merely a building of stone. It was also a symbol of human improvement.

And the wages received by faithful craftsmen remind us that the greatest rewards of labor are often invisible.

Knowledge.

Understanding.

Self-discipline.

Integrity.

Brotherly Love.

These are the treasures that Masonry offers. Unlike material wealth, they increase when shared. Unlike money, they cannot be stolen. Unlike possessions, they do not decay with age.

The world teaches men to ask: “How much am I worth?”
Masonry teaches men to ask: “What have I become?”
This distinction is profound. A man may possess great wealth and still be impoverished in spirit.

He may hold high office and yet lack wisdom. He may receive applause from the world and yet fail to earn the approval of his own conscience. The Fellow Craft Degree reminds us that true wages are not always counted.

Sometimes they are experienced.

A lesson understood.

A fault corrected.

A virtue strengthened.

A truth discovered.

A Brother helped.

A temptation resisted.

These are wages.

And they are earned through faithful labor. There is another lesson hidden within the symbolism. The wages were given only after work had been performed. Not before. Not merely for showing up. Not merely for claiming the title of craftsman.
But for actual labor. This principle remains unchanged today.

Every Mason desires Light.

Every Mason desires wisdom.

Every Mason desires growth.

But the symbolic wages of Masonry are earned through effort.
Through study. Through reflection. Through service.
Through the daily work of shaping one’s character.
The Fellow Craft who truly understands his wages realizes something remarkable:

The greatest rewards of Masonry are not found in the Lodge Room. They are found in the man who leaves it. The transformation of the heart. The refinement of the mind.
The strengthening of the soul. These are wages worthy of a craftsman. And perhaps this is why no coin was ever necessary.

Because the treasures Masonry offers are beyond price.
No currency can purchase them. No thief can steal them. No market can determine their value.

A Question for Reflection

If the symbolic wages of a Fellow Craft consist of wisdom, virtue, and self-improvement, then what wages have you truly earned from your Masonic labor?

And if your wages were measured not by what you possess, but by what you have become, would you consider yourself richly paid?

This reflection is humbly offered for Masonic education and fraternal discussion. Brethren may freely share this material for educational purposes.

Fraternally,
Bro. Joni Cabrera
General Llanera Masonic Lodge No. 168, F. & A.M.
Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Free & Accepted Masons of the Philippines

06/12/2026

Those anti-Masons who claim that nothing good ever came out of Freemasonry should stop watching the NBA Finals and tune in to curling instead. 🔺️

06/12/2026

06/12/2026

I don't know if the Circle Squared was intentional, but I won't be surprised if it was.🔺️

06/11/2026

Brother John Wayne: A Mason Remembered

Today, June 11, we pause to remember Brother John Wayne (1907–1979), who passed to the Grand Lodge Above on this day 47 years ago. Known to millions as “The Duke,” John Wayne became an enduring symbol of courage, patriotism, determination, and strength. Yet beyond the silver screen, he was also a proud Freemason who found fellowship and equality among his Brothers.

Many are surprised to learn that after decades as one of Hollywood’s most recognizable stars, Wayne sought something that fame could never provide the genuine brotherhood of Freemasonry. In 1970, he was raised a Master Mason in Marion McDaniel Lodge No. 56 in Tucson, Arizona. He would later continue his Masonic journey through the York Rite, Scottish Rite, and Shriners.

Brother Wayne reportedly cherished his time in Lodge because there, his celebrity disappeared. He met with his Brothers upon the Level, where titles, wealth, and fame were left outside the Lodge room. He once found in Freemasonry what so many men before and after him have discovered a place where character matters more than status.

Throughout his life, Wayne embodied many of the virtues that Freemasonry seeks to cultivate: loyalty, perseverance, patriotism, charity, and service to others. After surviving lung cancer, he became a public advocate for cancer awareness and early detection, using his influence to help others rather than simply advancing himself.

As Masons, we remember Brother JOHN WAYNE not merely as a movie star, but as a Brother who sought light, fellowship, and self-improvement. His life reminds us that no matter our profession or station in life, we are all equal when we gather as Brothers.

“Tomorrow is the most important thing in life. Comes into us at midnight very clean. It’s perfect when it arrives and it puts itself in our hands.” — Brother John Wayne

May we continue to build a better tomorrow through the principles of Brotherly Love, Relief, and Truth.

“So Mote It Be.”