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
Appears in 122 Episodes
The Cycle of the Lodge: From Apprentice Eyes to Master’s Hands
Every Mason walks both paths: learning under guidance and leading with wisdom. This episode explores the cyclical nature of leadership and followership in the Craft—ho...
Beyond the Veil: What Freemasonry Demands Beyond Esotericism
Esotericism promises hidden power—but Masonry’s real strength comes from truths that have always been present. In this episode, we strip away the romantic fog of secre...
From the Cave to the Lodge: Escaping the Shadows of Superstition
From childhood superstitions to unexamined beliefs in adulthood, our development follows a one-way path. Drawing on the Platonic allegory of the cave, this episode exp...
The Pavement We Stand On: History as Context, Not Completion
Freemasonry treasures its history, but history alone is not the work. In this episode, we explore how fascination with the craft’s past—its legends, figures, and origi...
Dialogue with the Disowned: The Second Person as Masonic Practice
Some voices within us remain silent—not because they have nothing to say, but because we’ve decided not to listen. In this episode, we explore the act of speaking from...
Perspective Is a Ritual: How We Learn to See From Other Angles
Freemasonry teaches us to square our actions—but what lens are we using to observe them? In this episode, we explore how shifting between first, second, and third pers...
The Hoodwink Within: Uncovering the Patterns We Can’t See
Our most persistent behaviors are often invisible to us. In this episode, we explore the hidden mechanics of action and habit—how the mind shields us from the full pat...
When Willpower Fails: Rethinking the Virtue of Struggle
We’re taught that if we just try harder, we’ll succeed—and that virtue lies in the trying. But what if that’s not only wrong, but harmful?In this episode, we examine t...
The right tool for the Job might not be Masonic
Masonic symbols aren’t sacred because they’re exclusive—they’re sacred because they work. In this episode, we examine the tools of the Craft not as relics, but as psyc...
No One-Sided Coins: The mechanics of growth
Life doesn’t come with shortcuts through difficulty—and Freemasonry doesn’t pretend otherwise. In this episode, we confront the fantasy of a one-sided coin: a life ful...
Why We Judge Without Knowing: The Symbolic Cost of Unconscious Evaluation
Much of our behavior is shaped by decisions we don’t realize we’re making. In this episode, we explore the invisible architecture of our minds—those automatic evaluati...
Feeling Without Fixing: The Quiet Strength of Abiding With What Is
What do we do with our compassion when we can’t make a difference? In this episode, we explore the value of emotional resonance without intervention—the sacred practic...
The Gauge, the Gap, and the Wait: When Time Becomes the Test
Time doesn’t guarantee results—but it does reveal character. In this episode, we reflect on the symbolic and emotional dynamics of waiting: when our efforts don’t prod...
Yin and Yang in the Mortar: What Compassion Teaches the Builder
Compassion isn’t just a feeling—it’s a structural decision. In this episode, we explore the dual expressions of care: yin and yang, soft and active, receptive and agen...
The Craftsman’s Spiral: Growing in Freedom and Fullness
The work of becoming an enlightened craftsman isn’t a straight line—it’s a spiral. In this episode, we explore two vital and mutually reinforcing domains of growth: fr...
Built on Fiction: What Freemasonry Makes Up and Why It Matters
Every symbol in the Craft is made up—and that’s what makes them powerful. In this foundational episode, we explore the idea that all Masonic language, categories, and ...
Fixing the Wrong Thing: The First Trap of Transformation
Before we can change, we often reach for what’s closest—not what’s deepest. In this episode, we explore the seductive logic of symptom management: why we lock the frid...
Beyond Intention: Taking Off the Hoodwink of Self-Delusion
Some blind spots can’t be named, only noticed through their effects. In this episode, we go deeper into the practice of behavioral awareness, tracing unconscious patte...
The Left Slipper and the Best Gift Ever
What if the best gift you could ever receive was the truth about yourself? This episode explores the Masonic symbol of the Left Slipper—representing a promise fulfille...
The World Arises Around You: Crafting the Self as Instrument
If your experience is the only one you’ll ever fully know, how do you shape anything real? This episode explores the Masonic implications of subjective reality. Far fr...