THE FOUR TASSELS

By Bro. Jose Luis Hernandez

THE ORIGIN OF THE TASSELS AND THE CARDINAL VIRTUES In our Emulation First Degree Ritual as part of the explanation of the tracing board it states, pendent to the corners of the Lodge are four tassels, meant to remind us for the four cardinal virtues, namely: Temperance, Fortitude, Prudence, and Justice, the whole of which, tradition inform us, were practiced by a grand majority of our ancient Brethren. Unfortunately, the ritual does not explain why our ancient Brethren used tassels to explain virtues, so I have dug into different sources to find out the answer of this question and I learned the following. V.W.Bro. Ray Salmon explains, I came across just such an explanation recently on the origin of the tassels in the four corners of the lodge. The true origin of the tassels lies directly in methods used by the operative masons when laying out the ground plan for a new building. The master mason commenced work by striking the center of the piece of ground, and from it he plotted out the square or rectangle on which the walls were to rise. To do so he extended ropes from the center pin to the four angles, and pegged them down at the corners of the building. It was simple then to check the four corners for trueness using the square and triangle. As the walls rose, from time to time a piece of wood was extended from the corner inward, and a plumb line was dropped down to ensure that the walls were perpendicular and the angle as true on the upper tiers as on the base. These corner plumb lines are represented by the tassels hanging in the corners of our lodge rooms. In some lodges all that remains of them are four tassels woven into the pattern of the carpet. Bro. Arthur Ward in Masonic Symbolism and the Mystic Way tries to relates the tassels with the virtues as follows, the four tassels symbolize the cardinal virtues which, when rightly exercised, help the spiritual powers to energize in their several bodies or vehicles and finally to radiate from their corresponding physical centers, just as the threads of a tassel radiate from the base. In the ritual used in the old days these hanging tassels were taken as representing guides to enable a man to maintain an upright life; hence, the four cardinal virtues. In the Old Testament the Judaism Law commanded the Israelites to make four tassels for their garments from a cord of blue (Num 15:37-41, Deut 22:12) and to sew them into the corners of their garments that they might be reminders, to the Jews, of all the commandments of the Lord and so be careful to do them. In the New Testament, Jesus condemned the scribes and Pharisees for making ...their phylacteries (small square leather box containing slips inscribed with scriptural passages) broad and their fringes long so that the size of their piety might be demonstrated before men for their own praise and adoration, not for the

length of their fringes (ornamental border of short hanging threads or strips, synonymous word for tassels). In Mark 6:56 the author writes that the crowds were content to ...touch even the fringe of His garment; and as many as touched were healed; apparently the Gospel writer was talking about Jesus tassels. Knowing that Masonry has part of their roots in Judaism and Christianity I can speculate, just as a personal humble opinion that the Four Tassels have their origins in both religions and were incorporated as part of our Masonic symbolism. Now I am going to extend my research to the word cardinal. Cardinal means principal or as fundamentally important. It has been pointed out in "Beyond the Pillars", that the expression cardinal was derived from the Latin word "Cardo" , which means a hinge. Another author mentions that the derivation was from the Latin word "cardinalis", which means relating to a hinge. The word cardinal, therefore, indicates that on which something hinges. B.E. Jones in Freemasons Guide and Compendium, has observed that old Roman writers used the word as implying most important and applied the same to the four points of East, West, North and South and to the winds blowing from those directions. The expression cardinal virtues therefore appears to mean the fundamental virtues, which support and operate as hinges or pivots and on which the whole character develops. Similar view has been expressed by Bro. Mackey in his Revised Encyclopedia of Freemasonry and he defines Cardinal Virtues as The prominent or principal virtues on which all the others hinge or depend. The Virtues are the result, conclusions or guidelines of how people should behave according to philosophical or religious thoughts. When Agathon in Plato's Symposium take his turn at making a speech in praise of Love, he organized his ideas around the four cardinal virtues: prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance. An avant-garde intellectual who, incidentally, was the host at that famous banquet, Agathon offers no special reasons for this approach. That is, the contemporaries of Socrates already took for granted these traditional categories brought into life from the earliest speculative thinking. They took for granted not only the idea of virtue, which signifies human rightness. This particular intellectual framework, which is called the "doctrine of virtue," was one of the great discoveries in the history of studious men, and it has continued to be part of the European mind and consciousness as the result of centuries of persistent intellectual endeavor by all the creative elements of the emerging Occidental thought, both the Greeks Plato and Aristotle and the Romans Cicero and Seneca. Plato in his Republic refers the cardinal virtues as four important virtues. Aristotle had also held similar view. Romans had, however, referred these virtues as the cardinal virtues. The book Beyond the Pillars points out that, Wisdom teaches Temperance and Prudence and Justice and Fortitude.

An esoteric and modern interpretation of the four tassels is given in the next lines, Since Einstein demonstrated that the same mathematical-physical laws are applicable to matter and energy, space and time, speaking of a fourth dimension is common. But precisely one of the paradoxes of ancient alchemy is the insistence that three is four and one. Doubtless, the three dimensions of space plus the dimension of time constitute the unity of the universe. We can also think of physical space having three dimensions, but we recognize four cardinal points. Three is four. This is well represented in the tracing board of the First Degree, which depicts the three Theological Virtues on Jacob's ladder, and the four Cardinal Virtues, represented by the four tassels in the corners. Three and four. THE VIRTUES Albert Mackey described the cardinal virtues as the pre-eminent virtues on which all the others hinge or depend. Their meanings extend far beyond their mere dictionary definitions. Thus, Temperance means not abstinence from alcohol, but in Freemasonry it implies caution in action, speech, thought, feeling, judgment, life and living. Fortitude, Masonically, implies moral courage far more than physical bravery. Prudence incorporates the use of common sense, reason, logic, in meeting any problem. Justice, in Masonry, is defined as a strict interpretation of the law, which is equity, honor, and fairness in ones dealings with others. It is moral rightness. Mercy is justice complement, actually a tempering of or a tampering with justice, and implies that in special cases justice is insufficient. The following comments will highlight the importance and necessity of the practice of these virtues, ..through Temperance vitality floods the body, through Fortitude energy strengthens the soul, through Prudence wisdom enlightens the mind and through Justice love spread the spirit ; for to love all perfectly is to be unjust to none. In Masonry considerable emphasis is placed on those virtues and the initiated is exhorted to practice every domestic as well as public virtue. The charge after initiation beautifully instructs us, " Let Prudence direct you, Temperance chasten you, Fortitude support you and Justice be the guide of all your actions". It is therefore evident that those virtues are of paramount importance and figure prominently in the shaping up of the character of every Freemason, besides helping him to lead a life according to the Masonic rule and line.

All the religions prescribe the practice of these virtues. Christianity has adopted these virtues as the Natural Virtues and had later added Faith, Hope and Charity as the Super Natural or Theological virtues. As a Mason, one must strive to develop a character of moral uprightness. We must be true to our convictions, always follow the Masonic virtues, and resist the pressures of the profane world to lower ones own standards. As Masons, we should be pillars of society and try to lift others up to a higher standard of moral and righteous living. As men and Masons our lives must be founded upon the highest principals of morality, integrity, and honesty. Masons should judge others as we judge ourselves. We should always look for the good in others and their actions. We should believe everyone is honest and sincere in his beliefs and actions. Justice gives everyone his due, is not rash or censorious, nor hates sin so much that it loves mankind too little. As Masons we are encouraged to stand upright in our beliefs and deal justly with our fellowman. I hope this simple talk based on different authors and ideas gathered mainly from the internet would help us, dear Brethren, to understand and to live in a daily basis the cardinal virtues represented by the Four Tassels.