Archive, Volume 3

Astronomical Symbols in Albert Pike's Ornamentation of the Lodge
Norman D. Peterson, 32°

Astronomy, though the last, is not the least important science. It is that divine art by which we are taught to read the wisdom, strength, and beauty of the almighty Creator in those sacred pages, the celestial hemisphere.

William Preston
Second Lecture, Fourth Section
Illustrations of Masonry, 1775

Albert Pike's Book of the Lodge recommends particular constellations, stars, and planets for decorating the lodge room ceiling. Pike's book relates to the Ecossais or Scottish Rite craft work, rarely encountered in English-language lodges but widely used in Latin America and parts of Continental Europe. Many of the astronomical themes of these ornaments have either numeric or seasonal significance.

The Starry-Decked Canopy of Heaven

The ceiling will represent the Heavens. Over the East is painted a great Sun, shining; over the Senior Warden, a Crescent Moon; over the Junior Warden, a five-pointed Star.

All around the wall, just below the ceiling, is painted, in French Lodges, a knotted cord or rope (la houppe dentelée), about six inches in diameter, with tassels dependent from it at each corner. The knots are 81 in number. This is not used in this jurisdiction.
On the ceiling, also, particular Stars and Constellations are painted. In the centre, the three stars in the belt of Orion; and between them and the Northeast, the Pleiades and Hyades, one of which is Aldebaran; half-way between Orion and the Northwest, Regulus in Leo; in the North Ursa Major; in the Northwest, Arcturus; West of Regulus, Spica Virginis; in the West, Antares; in the South, Fomalhaut; over the East, also is Jupiter, and over the West, Venus; Mercury, close to the Sun, and Mars and Saturn, near the centre of the ceiling. The Stars in the belt of Orion represent the number 3; the Hyades 5, the Pleiades and Ursa Major, 7. The five royal Stars are Aldebaran, Arcturus, Regulus, Antares, and Fomalhaut.

Pike's instructions form the basis for this article's ceiling design with the Sun in gold, the Moon in silver, and the stars and constellations in white. This may be the first time a drawing of Pike's proposed ceiling has been published, if ever even used in a lodge. The ambiguities in Pike's description require a little artistic license. This article explains the design and some of its symbolism.

As the Sun Rises in the East

The ceiling of Pike's lodge room shows the rising Sun at the eastern horizon and a crescent Moon at the western horizon. The actual time depicted is the moment of sunrise or shortly after, not "after dawn and before Sunrise" as in the opening of a Lodge of Perfect Elus. With these two great luminaries so placed, the Moon would naturally be full. It probably is shown on the ceiling as a crescent, however, to assure its correct identification.

At the Meridian

The meridian is an imaginary line passing from the south point of the horizon, through the zenith to the north point of the horizon. Pike placed four celestial objects along or near the meridian of his lodge room.

Near the horizon in the south is a moderately large five-pointed star, representing Sirius, the dog star. This is the brightest fixed star in the heavens and one of the nearest. It is the nose of the constellation Canis Major, the Great Dog, but the other stars of the constellation are not shown. Between Sirius and the ceiling's center is Fomahault, found in the constellation Piscis Austrinis. The other stars of the constellation have been included to help identify Fomahault.

Directly over the center of the lodge is the rectangular constellation Orion, the Hunter, raising a shield and club against the attack of Taurus, the bull. Across the middle of Orion are three stars, very near the celestial equator, representing his belt. These three stars could represent the three lights at the altar.

Still farther north, but well above the horizon, is the Pole Star, the symbolic anchor point of the heavens. Slightly to one side is the Big Dipper or Ursa Major. Pike includes Ursa Major, the Great Bear, but does not mention the Pole Star. It has been included, however, as a logical part of the arrangement of stars.

The precise location of the Pole Star above the horizon depends on the geographic location of the lodge. In Minneapolis and other locations at forty-five degrees north latitude, the Pole Star is half way between the north horizon and the center of the ceiling. At the equator it is exactly on the north horizon.

Ursa Major has seven main stars, including the two pointers used to locate the Pole Star. One of these seven stars is actually a double or pair, Mizar and Alcor. Ursa Major seems to be a primary symbol in the Ecossais Third Degree, where it often appears on the blue sash of that degree.

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This excerpt is from Heredom, the transactions of the Scottish Rite Research Society

Scottish Rite Research Society
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