Veiled in Allegory

The Winding Stairs Episode 4:

Veiled in Allegory

The action of veiling the teachings of Freemasonry behind a veil of Allegory has various reasons. Very powerful ones.

Freemasonry is described elegantly as a Science of Morality, Veiled in Allegory and Illustrated by Symbols. If there is nothing sinister in a science of morality, then why should it be veiled? On this episode we explore the reasons behind the allegorical teaching method and how well it works with the human mind. We introduce two new segments to our program:

Masonic History
Masonic Conspiracies by Bro:. Robert Johnson from Whence Came You? Podcast.

Masonic History

Masonic Apron Protects County Documents

During the civil war, In Brunswick County Virginia, an act of benevolence, perhaps brotherhood, saved the county records from being destroyed.
On May 15, 1864, Union troops were approaching the courthouse.
The reputation that preceded this troops was an unnerving one for the county officials; especially since in addition to burning bridges and cutting confederate communication lines, some union troops were burning down the historical records as they moved through towns.
As the Brunswick's county clerk of the courts, Edward Randolph Turnbull, received news of the impending arrival of the Union Troops, he resorted to a quite unconventional way of protecting his county's documents.
He stacked the priceless documents on top of a table in the courthouse and draped them (veiled them) with his Masonic Apron hoping that, as many other Union Officers at the time, the approaching one was a Mason.
This unorthodox yet inspiring defense seemed to have worked perfectly, as the apron was later delivered, presumably by a Union Troop, directly to Turnbull's house.
When Turnbull returned to the courthouse, to his surprise, the office was ransacked, except for the stack of documents he had entrusted to the care of his Lambskin.

You can read more about this piece of Masonic and American History by reading the original story featured in the Richmond Times Dispatch on March 17, 2013. It was written by Bill Lohmann.

Masonic Conspiracies

The Alleged Connection between Mormons, Freemasons and Aliens

Listen to the fascinating conspiracy theories presented in this program. They are sure to make you think, laugh or even cry (possibly of laughter).

On this segment, Bro:. Robert Johnson shares a very interesting Conspiracy Theory that is being shared on the internet, regarding an alleged connection between religious leaders, The Freemasons, The Illuminati and even aliens. Don't miss this insightful contribution to the podcast, by our Brother and Producer of Whence Came You Podcast. You can listen to other Masonic Conspiracies (debunked) and valuable Masonic Discussions at WCYPodcast.com

Veiled In Allegory

Painting: Allegory of Arithmetic (Allegorie van de rekenkunde) by French artist Laurent De La Hyre. ca. 1650 A.D.

Why is this morality veiled in allegory? If we think of the great teachers that have made a difference in history, many of them expressed themselves through the effective teaching tool of allegory. One of the most efficient ways in which people can acquire knowledge is by learning new things while comparing them to already known ones. When we learn to speak, we learn a few first words and continue increasing our vocabulary by adding more words and learning how those words relate to the ones previously learned. Similarly, when learning the science of arithmetic, we begin with basic concepts and rules, which increase in complexity, but always retain some similarities to those initial concepts we first learned. Therefore, when we think of the great lessons taught by the great teachers of history and the way in which they were able to express complex concepts by comparing and contrasting them with already familiar ones, we can observe how this technique cements new ideas permanently into our mind. This veil of allegory is not merely put into place to conceal information from others outside our Order, but more importantly to aid in the recollection of these lessons, because they are intrinsically connected to other lessons and life experiences we already posses. We all know how marvelous the human brain is in its efficiency and complexity, but very few people really know that one of the qualities which make it so efficient is its capacity to link information together. The more connections we build between the information we hold in our brain, the easier it is to access it and the more likely we are to learn new concepts.

Dr. Judy Willis, M.D. is a regular contributor to Psychology Today Magazine and the author of many articles related to learning.

According to an article by Dr. Judy Willis, M.D., published in January 18, 2012 in Psychology Today Magazine, children can boost their success in tests by teaching them in a strategic way consistent with the way our brains store long-term memories. She describes the brain as a “pattern-seeking organ” and goes on to describe that when you teach a child a new concept, by helping them connect it with previously acquired knowledge, the brain is more efficient at recalling that information when necessary. Therefore, if we are diligent at correlating or comparing one newly acquired piece of information with something we are already familiar with, then we increase the effectiveness, with which we can recall that new information when we need it. Knowing this process helps us understand that it is not only for the sake of secrecy that Masonic information is veiled in allegory, but to aid us in the recollection of this information effectively and efficiently. If you want to learn more about Dr. Willis' teaching strategy and research, you can read the full article on Psychology Today.

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