Maine Masonic College

Eternal Symbols, Ancient Myths, Initiation Rites & Freemasonry

by Charles W. Plummer, Ph. D.

Date: 

Type of Course:   Seminar

Length of Course:  Approximately 6 hours: 9am - 12 noon and 1-3pm

Location:  

Cost: 

Texts: Will be provided by instructor immediately upon registration

Requirements:   This course open to all.  This course is limited to 30 participants.

Course Description:

The world-famous Swiss psychologist, Carl Gustav Jung, influenced the world of psychology more than those with a casual knowledge of the subject realize. More familiar terms such as "extravert," "introvert," and "archetypes" are all Jungian concepts but his overwhelming contribution to the psychological understanding is his concept of the unconscious mind. This part of the mind can be thought of as a world that is as much a vital and real part of the live of the individual as the conscious world of the ego and infinitely wider and richer.

The language and the "people" of the unconscious mind are symbols and their means of communication are dreams. Thus an examination of symbols can be thought of as an examination of man's relation to his own conscious. This course has been designed to introduce participants to Jung's concepts of the unconscious mind, the archetypes and symbols that form its language, the archetypal patterns in ancient mythology, folk legend and primitive ritual, and the function of rites of initiation including those of the three degrees of Freemasonry.

Some of the key concepts that will be explored during the course are as follows:

  •   The language that we use is full of symbols.
  •   Man often uses signs or images that denote the objects to which they are attached but they are not symbols.
  •   What we call a symbol is a term, a name, or a picture that may be familiar in daily life yet possesses specific connotation in addition to its obvious meaning.
  •   Symbols imply something vague, unknown, or hidden from us.
  •   Symbols that represent ancient myths have not lost their relevance for mankind today.
  •   Initiation rites, whether they are those of tribal groups, more complex societies, or Freemasonry insist upon the rite of death and rebirth which provide the initiate with a rite of passage from one stage of life to another.
  •    There is a difference between hero myths and initiation rites.
  •   The initiation rites of Freemasonry, as with those of other groups or societies, have a civilizing or spiritualizing purpose in spite of the violence portrayed in the Master Mason Degree which is necessary to set the process in motion.
  •   The purpose of the Masonic rite of passage, as with other groups or societies, is to help the initiates transcend their current patterns of existence as they move toward a superior or more mature stage in their development.
  •   Unless initiation rites are properly understood and translated into a new way of life, the moment can pass and their significance lost.
  •   If an initiate has successfully completed his rite of passage, he will have struck a balance that will make him truly human and truly the master of himself.
  •   There are four functional types by which consciousness obtains its orientation to experience: sensation, thinking, feeling and intuition.
  •   Archetypes are primordial images at work at the unconscious level that affect human behavior.
  •   The ancient history of man is being meaningfully rediscovered today in the symbolic images and myths that have survived ancient man.
  •   The myth of the hero is the most common and best known myth in the world.
  •   Ancient History and the rituals of contemporary primitive societies have provided us with a wealth of materials about myths and rites of initiation.
  •   The history of symbolism shows that everything can assume symbolic significance.

The whole cosmos is a potential symbol!

Course Format:

A variety of instructional approaches will be used to meet the learning styles of the participants. These will include hands-on activities, discussion activities, small group activities, story telling, and the use of audio/visual materials. Participants will also assess the archetypes that are at work in their lives guiding their behaviors.

Course Instructor:

Masonically, Bro. Charles W. Plummer is a Past Master, Past District Educational Representative, Past District Deputy Grand Master, Past Senior Grand Warden, and Past Chairman of the Committee on Masonic Education and Lodge Service (MEALS). He is currently a member of the Board of Regents for the Maine Masonic College and Chairman of the Committee on the Condition of the Fraternity.

He has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Education, an M. Ed. in Administration and Supervision and a Ph.D. in Biblical Studies. He is an instructor for the University of Southern Maine and has taught courses on Classical Mythology, The Life and Writings of C. S. Lewis, The Biology of the Brain, Biological Anthropology, The Roots of Human Behavior, The Civil War, The Life and Writings of Abraham Lincoln, Personality and Learning Styles, and Archetypes and Dream Analysis based on the work of Carl Gustav Jung. He has designed this course for those members of the fraternity who would like to gain a better understanding of the power and meaning of symbols, myths and archetypes, their relationships with Freemasonry, and the purpose and meaning of the rites of initiation especially those of the Entered Apprentice Degree, the Fellowcraft Degree, and the Master Mason Degree.

Important Note

The Maine Masonic College complies with the Americans With Disabilities Act. If any conference participant is in need of reasonable accommodation, please forward a written request to the College Secretary for consideration at least one month prior to the activity.

The opinions expressed by instructors and Regents of the Maine Masonic College do not represent an 'official' position of Freemasonry or of the Grand Lodge of Masons in Maine. No one person speaks for Freemasonry. Only the Grand Master can speak for Freemasonry within his own jurisdiction and then, only during his term of office.

 

This page last updated on Sunday, April 2, 2006 10:48 AM

 

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