The Hedge Mason: Another View of a Lodge: Ciego de Avila, Cuba.

Saturday, January 28, 2012

Another View of a Lodge: Ciego de Avila, Cuba.

From time to time, The Hedge Mason will endeavor to provide glimpses of exceptional, and sometimes quite everyday lodges from around the world. If we tend to show biases for certain nations, well, we make no pretense of not having favorites. However, send us photos and some information about your lodge, where ever in the world it may be, and we will consider posting it. Especially if you take strong photos and not just "snapshots."

The idea of sharing these, apart from showing some lodges which the Hedge Mason considers aesthetically appealing, is to help make the world a smaller place and to share a common experience among all masons of all obediences and nations.

This time, we are looking at a lodge in Ciego de Avila, Cuba. Ciego de Ávila is a city in central Cuba and has a population of about 86,100. The city is located about 460 km (290 mi) east of Havana and 110 km (68 mi) west of the city of Camagüey. Not a touristic place, Ciego de Avila is a small city but worth seeing. Ciego de Avila, typical of the unspoiled Cuban life without tourism, features an architecture famous for its neo-classic buildings with long roofed corridors along the sidewalks. Cuban architecture combines Moorish, baroque and Art Deco styles.

This lodge is noteworthy for maintaining some stunning mural decoration in the lodge room. Notice the use of lighting to highlight the murals to best effect. The state of the lodge indicates that the membership makes serious sacrifices to maintain their lodge and value the heritage that has been entrusted to them. Note also the use of a real skull for the chamber of reflecttion, an indication of retention of long standing traditions. This lodge is the Grand Lodge of Ciego de Avila Province, which has a total of eight (8) lodges under its jurisdiction. The lodge visibly displays its certification documenting its foundation dating to the 1800s for all to see.

I hope you all enjoy, as this is clearly a remarkable lodge!

2 comments:

Magpie Mason said...: Bro. Ballard, is there a significance (alchemical?) to the three-color checkered floor?

Jay; January 28, 2012 at 7:08 PM
E C Ballard ஃ said...: My goodness, Bro Jay, but you are observant. I doubt anyone else noticed that. I suspect it is not at all accidental. The three colors associated with Nkuyu/Lucero/Ellegua/Echú/Legba in Afro-Caribbean religions are black, red, and white. All these entities are associated with guess whom...Thoth, ie. Hermes Trismegistus.

Also, if you look at the hermetically inspired initiations of the 18th century - those of the Rite Hermetique, Rite Ecosaisse Philosophique, and Cagliostro's rituals you will see these colors play a prominent role, as they do in alchemy.

Eoghan; January 28, 2012 at 9:33 PM

Welcome to the Hedge Mason Blog, affiliated with the UMURM

A word or two by way of explanation may be

worth offering concerning the title of this blog.

Hedge Mason, like similar terms Hedge Master,

Hedge Lodge, and the more widely recognized

Hedge School, are terms from Hiberno-English.

The latter of these terms, as many Irish will know,

refers to illicit schools dedicated to the maintenance

of Irish culture and language, alongside the classics

of European Philosophy, including Greek and Latin studies.

These institutions were founded throughout rural Ireland during

the Penal era when Irish Gaelic culture was under attack

by the English occupier. During this time also, the term

Hedge was added to masonic terms to refer to any masonic

individual or institution not approved of by the

Anglophone world. These often were lodges and masons

working to advance the cause of Irish independence.

It seems a very appropriate term then, for me to use to

name this blog.

For quite a while I have observed various blogs and podcasts

relating to Freemasonry, finding both much worth emulating

and a few things worth avoiding among them. Fairly

quickly it became apparent to me that there was little

being published in North America (or elsewhere for that matter)

that dealt fairly and offering a positive perspective on Liberal

Freemasonry or the world beyond the confines of the

Preston-Webb Rites or the AASR Northern or Southern

Jurisdictions and especially with the Modern Rite with which

we are associated.. Such sites exist beyond the Anglophone

Internet, but The Hedge Mason will endeavor to bring some

of that information within the grasp of an English speaking

audience.

It seems to me that it is time for a change, and this blog

will hopefully serve as a small corrective step in that direction.

The goal of this blog will be to provide interesting topics

from time to time on subjects relating to Liberal Freemasonry

and on responsible alternatives to what is exemplified by the

mainstream Grand Lodge system in North America.

While this site will not avoid covering contemporary issues,

it will try to avoid heavy handed critiques of any system or

tradition within Freemasonry. It is my belief that there is no

such thing as clandestine or irregular freemasonry. Such

labels belittle the rich tapestry of our traditions both

contemporary and historical. Further, such attitudes

directly contradict the premise of brotherhood and fraternalism

which is the foundation of Freemasonry.

In short, this site is about education and expanding

the horizons of Freemasons of all stripes and those who

are just interested in the subject. It is not a place intended

for debate or dispute, although if it engenders some that might

be a good thing.

Just in case some object to certain posts being off topic,

please note the subtitle of this blog includes the phrase,

"and other stuff." That of course is because it's my blog and

occasionally I want to ramble.

We look forward to sharing with you!

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Saturday, January 28, 2012

Another View of a Lodge: Ciego de Avila, Cuba.

2 comments: