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Lewis Masonic Masonic Wisdom Cards. Click here. |
From the fertile minds of Jonti Marks and Bridie Blaze, via Lewis Masonic, comes Masonic Wisdom Cards: A Deck for Daily Reflection. Think of them as working tools for daily meditations on Masonic thought.
This is not a tarot deck. While the cards are seventy-eight in number, they depict handmade images of symbols we know from the Craft lodge, plus several from the Mark and Royal Arch degrees. As Lewis Masonic Managing Director Martin Faulks recently phrased it on social media: “When I was made an Entered Apprentice, I was given three working tools to contemplate—and I remember being quietly disappointed that I couldn’t take them home with me.” I think we all suffered that awkward moment in the First Degree, but this package should make amends.
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| Lewis Masonic |
I should note for my fellow Americans, almost all of the symbols in this deck are known to you, but there are a few that derive from other systems. The chisel is known to American Masons who have advanced to the Mark Degree, but in Craft rituals emanating from English and Scottish lodges, it is employed during the EA°, ergo its presence here. Likewise, the skirret and the pencil are taken up throughout the British Isles during the Third Degree. We also find the lewis, the wand, the key, and others, but allow these to inspire you to learn more about the rituals and symbols of our brethren across the Atlantic. (Frankly, the dormer window is a new one on me. I should have joined the Dormer Study Circle!)
From beyond the Craft, we encounter the keystone, the triple tau, the arch, the ark, and more. These also may be foreign to American Masons, but perhaps those cards may be motivational for pursuing further Light in the Royal Arch chapter. But enough disclaimers. What about the deck?
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| Reverse of the cards. |
We are not alone in deciphering the symbols. Another tarot-like aspect is the inclusion with the deck of a key—a small booklet—penned by Jonti Marks who gives us his interpretations. None of us would have difficulty recognizing Card 59, captioned “The Point within a Circle,” and Marks helps us internalize its meaning, explaining:
Conversely, card No. 31, captioned “Charity,” does not depict an obvious Masonic image, but rather shows a heart crowned with flames—reminiscent of the Claddagh ring?—surrounded by nine stars. Marks says:
As noted, the Masonic Wisdom Cards were made for personal reflection and growth, and I also recommend using decks to spark lodge discussion and activity. It would be fantastic for a Worshipful Master to distribute, say, a dozen cards among the brethren assembled. Each can devote a few minutes to discussing his card’s content and what it means personally, followed by the Master (or his designee) reading Bro. Marks’ explanations in the booklet. Perhaps a regular feature of every meeting could be conversation about just one card. After a degree, maybe talk about one or more cards relevant to that ritual. I don’t mean to micromanage.
I’ve been reading up on Bro. Jonti Marks online. His bio on Lewis Masonic states:
Born in London and growing up partly in England and partly in East Africa, Jonti was initiated into Freemasonry in Lodge Harmony 3084 EC in Nairobi, Kenya, in August 1990. He later joined Lodge Scotia, 1008 SC, also in Nairobi, and it was through the Scottish lodge that he was first introduced to the Holy Royal Arch, being exalted in Faith and Charity Chapter 329 SC in December 1991.
After moving back to England in 1998, Jonti, who was a school teacher and headmaster for twenty-seven years, joined the Old Bromsgrovian Lodge 5743 EC where he served as Master in 2013. Jonti was a founding member of the Old Bromsgrovian Chapter and he was the first member to pass through all three Chairs of that Chapter. He is Past Provincial Grand Sword Bearer in the Provincial Grand Lodge of Worcestershire and a Past Provincial Grand Steward in the Provincial Grand Chapter.
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| Jonti Marks and Bridie Blaze. From their Kickstarter page. |
Jonti has been interested in the deeper meanings of Freemasonry from the earliest days of his involvement with the Craft. He has always been keen to consider how the knowledge and wisdom contained in our rituals can be applied in a meaningful way to the life of every brother or companion who sits in lodge and chapter and who professes to subscribe to our particular and peculiar way of seeing the world.
You might be familiar with his series of books of Masonic meditations.
Of our artist, Lewis Masonic says:
Bridie Blaze is a Cornish folk artist living in Porto, Portugal, whose whimsical, hand-painted work celebrates the beauty of imperfection. Her art captures the wonky, wonderful magic of nature, folklore, and mystical traditions, embodying an essential truth: that light and beauty are found not in perfection, but in authentic, joyful expression.
All the cards, each measuring approximately 2¾ by 4¾ inches, and the book fit snugly inside a handy hard box with a magnetic lid that will prove durable for your travels. Put it in your apron case and bring it to lodge.
These cards are, yes, great for young Masons ripe for revelation; and, after possessing a deck more than a week, I have learned the Wisdom Cards also can remind those of us who’ve been around decades of the strength and beauty of our Craft’s tenets.
Click here.
