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 Cornerstone of Awareness
Before a Mason can act, he must see. This episode reveals awareness as the true cornerstone of agency—not just the start of the Work, but the condition that makes mean...
The Ashlar and the Question of Growth
In a world full of disorder and limits beyond our control, why bother growing at all? This episode confronts that foundational question, exploring the symbolic Ashlar—...
The Oath and the Work: Escaping the Disappointment Trap
Why do so many men leave Freemasonry disillusioned? This episode explores the misunderstanding at the heart of that disappointment: the belief that the Masonic oath is...
The Level and the Deferred Life Plan
This episode confronts the quiet danger of deferral—the belief that fulfillment lies somewhere beyond the present moment. Drawing on the Masonic symbol of the Level, i...
You Are Not Your Results: The Mason’s Paradox
Drawing wisdom from the Bhagavad Gita and the tools of Freemasonry, this episode challenges a deep cultural illusion: that our value lies in our results. By reflecting...
The Gavel and the Temptation to Settle
What begins as well-earned rest can quickly become a barrier to growth. This episode explores the moment when satisfaction turns into stagnation—and how the symbolic G...
The Trowel and the Three Virtues: Building Faith, Hope, and Charity for a Modern World
What do the Masonic virtues of faith, hope, and charity ask of us today? This episode re-examines these foundational values through a modern lens, asking whether their...
We Meet on the Level — But We Are Not the Same
Freemasonry teaches equality at the altar, but we all walk in with different histories, insights, and levels of development. In this episode, we examine how symbolic a...
Find Me a Rock: The Futility of Leading for the Unwilling
In groups where few take ownership, even good leaders get stuck playing a losing game. This episode explores the “find me a rock” dynamic—where complaints are abundant...
Every Complaint Is a Tool - Start with the One You’re Holding
Compassion is vital—but it isn’t passive. In this episode, we explore how frustration, disappointment, and criticism can become instruments of growth. Whether you’re h...
Freemasonry Among the Traditions: The Path, Not the Title
Across spiritual and philosophical lineages—from Bodhisattvas and Sadiqs to Philosopher Kings and Saints—there exists an aspirational identity: the just person, the mo...
The Work of a Master Mason: Governing the Self First
Following last episode’s exploration of insatiable desire, this conversation turns to recovery, regulation, and real compassion. Whether it’s addiction, avoidance, or ...
Desire That Devours: What the Compasses Teach Us
In this episode, we explore the Buddhist realm of Hungry Ghosts - beings tormented by insatiable craving; and its profound parallels with the human condition. Whether ...
The Fellow Craft Apron and the Logic of Compassion
Compassion doesn’t always arise naturally but that doesn’t mean we can’t train for it. In this episode, we explore a protocol for practicing compassion using symbolic ...
Sometimes the Hidden Isn’t Hidden - It’s Just Poorly Explained
What if esotericism isn’t about secret knowledge, but simply about structure and clarity? In this episode, we challenge the idea that Masonic depth is inherently myste...
Why So Many Guards? The Lodge as Mental Fortress
Why are there so many guards in the lodge? This episode reinterprets the symbolic role of Masonic sentinels as cognitive and emotional gatekeepers. In an age where inf...
Freemasonry Without Permission: A Path Beyond the Lodge
Not every lodge is the right soil for growth. In this episode, we explore how to stay on the Masonic path even when your environment doesn’t support it. Whether your l...
Put On Your Apron: Becoming the Mason You Were Raised to Be
In this episode, we revisit the Hiramic Legend—not for its historical allegory, but as a mirror for our modern emotional lives. What does it mean to stand in the momen...
One of the Twelve: An Invitation to the Real Work of the Craft
In this cornerstone episode, we explore the Hiramic legend as a metaphor for self-awareness and moral choice—focusing on the twelve Fellowcrafts who step back from des...
The Tuxedo and the Trowel: Wearing the Symbol, Living the Labor
In this episode, we reflect on the ritual and symbolic role of Masonic dress—especially the tuxedo—not as a marker of status, but as a signal of readiness, humility, a...