The Unspoken Symbol: Beneath the Degrees, Behind the Work
Download MP3This episode explores a symbol never named directly in the degrees, yet present everywhere in the Masonic experience: curiosity. It’s the force beneath every inquiry, every tool, every ritual. And while it may never be etched in stone or inscribed on a tracing board, it animates the Craft from within.
We reflect on how curiosity fuels the pursuit of symbolic knowledge, transforms discomfort into growth, and keeps Masons aligned with their deepest purpose—even when the work is hard to explain.
🔑 Key Takeaways
- Some of Freemasonry’s most powerful symbols are never named—they are felt.
- Curiosity is the engine of symbolic work—it drives exploration, insight, and transformation.
- Becoming an agent of change starts with a willingness to uncover what lies beneath the surface.
💬 Featured Quotes
“It’s swimming under the water of the entire craft… that concept that is implied by Freemasonry is curiosity.” — [00:00:35]
“Covers off of things and finding out how they work… that kind of approach to the Craft is implicit.” — [00:00:57]
“The tools are designed to help you become an agent of change in the world—and curiosity is a fundamental component of that.” — [00:04:40]
🔗 Explore Related Episodes
🎧 Ep. 60 – Thinking in Symbols
Explores how symbolic insight emerges not from answers, but from asking better questions.
Explores how symbolic insight emerges not from answers, but from asking better questions.
🎧 Ep. 73 – Geometry as truth between things
Discusses curiosity as a tool for exploring structure, space, and relationship.
Discusses curiosity as a tool for exploring structure, space, and relationship.
🎧 Ep. 69 – The Grammar of the Lodge: Structure, Symbol, and the Spoken Word
Examines how linguistic structure reflects the search for meaning and intentional communication.
Examines how linguistic structure reflects the search for meaning and intentional communication.
Creators and Guests
Host
Brian Mattocks
Host and Founder of A Mason's Work - a podcast designed to help you use symbolism to grow. He's been working in the craft for over a decade and served as WM, trustee, and sat in every appointed chair in a lodge - at least once :D
