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The symbolic art in Ancient Egypt grew and
developed along centuries and reached its zenith between the 1st and 4th
Dynasty.
Each city and village had their own schools where architecture, sculpture,
painting and geometry were as worthy as political and religious life.
Masonic meetings meet, in this way, a perfect mirror reflected in remote
times.
Ancient mysteries were taught, through dramatic representations,to
ordinary people in open ceremonies.
That knowledge deeps into self-identity, regardless of the flesh, that
sooner or later will be corrupted.
If we take the word SYMBOL like a representation of an evolutional state
in our living days, this SYMBOL could also be reproduced in others´ lives.
This is the main target in funeral art studies: a new signification.
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While visiting Alexandria in 24 BC, Estrabon describes its symbols,
topography and pharaonic monuments. And 63 years later, Roman Emperor
Caligula offered a strong sum in gold coins to obtain the exact
translation from two obelisks´ inscriptions moved to Rome. One of them,
still in St. Peter´s Square in Vatican City, has no inscriptions nor
relief..
The other one (its doom is unknown) would have been useful for Caligula (an
obsessed of the Isis Cult) to disclose clues ABOUT ANCIENT AND WISE SECRET
SOCIETIES. And to build one of the more astonishing works that marine
archeology has ever seen: two gigantic galleys that were used to host an
imperial brothel including...Senators´ wives.
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SYMBOLISM AND ITS INFLUENCE IN MASONIC ORDERS
One of the closest, hermetic and operative masonic Order is the Ancient
and Primitive Rite of Memphis Misraim.
It´s the outcome of Napoleon´s dazzling with ancient egyptian ceremonies
and esoteric art in Cairo. He took the rites to Europe.
Both rites were born separately: Misraim in 1788 in Italy and Memphis in
1815 in France.
Several members of Napoleon army resigned from the England Grand Lodge and
joined the Order..But there were a lot of jacobines, so the Grand Orient
of France, supporting the monarchy, dissolved Memphis and a stirred time
began.
It would last 40 years until Giuseppe Garibaldi revitalised the Order,
gathered both rites and expanded them to South America through italian and
french inmigration.
It arrived in Argentina through Rosario at first and Cordoba afterwards.
But it reached its heights in the recently founded
provincial capital: La Plata, a city planned, arranged beforehand by the
masonic wisdom inherited of the Middle Age masons.
La Plata was mentally conceived and carried out by a brillant generation
that propelled the biggest institutional, economic and cultural growth for
a latin-american country along history.
Those were the days in which members of any Lodge, speculative or
operative, took the fraternal principles so far that "everyone were one".
Working inside a Lodge seemed to a central stage, being
ready to take part..and gazing up with solemnity like Renaissancist
courtesans or Medici times priests.
FUNERAL MASONIC SYMBOLS AND THEIR MEANINGS
The use of sky-blue badges and aprons from english, irish and even
scottish Lodges established in the River Plate during 1806 and 1807, was
an unitive factor among the natives, so called "criollos".
Sky-blue and white were the catholics´ colours: those of the Blessed
Virgin Mary´s Mantle.
But were the Bourbonic colours also, because of spanish
King Carlos III Order and for Free and Accepted Masons, the same
colours were those of the Grand Lodge.
ONE SYMBOL: DIFFERENT MEANINGS.
Analyzing the funeral monuments in La Plata Cemetery, for instance, we
find that a winged clepsydra was the distinctive mark of, at least, two
Lodges : the symbol of the relentless time flowing.
The emblems and attributes of masonic inspiration, reflect a high degree
above the christian-catholic standards and were created in a universal and
associate model for the final resting places.
And it was necessary for this secret and philanthropic society of brethren,
both speculatives and operatives,to bring us a visual testimony to avoid
obliteration.
For instance, tombs don´t keep a lineal distribution: there is a strategy
in the geographic plane surface...and in their ground floors.
Several of them recreate the King Solomon Temple, and we can see sphinxs
and clepsydras searching the east sunrise.
Ties between Masonry in late 19th century and political and education
leaders were well ahead of a growing economy: this is the result of their
biographies, a man´s belief...and the way he is.
Domingo F.Sarmiento was persistent, but gloomy...Nicolás Avellaneda was a
poet and very religious...Julio A.Roca was hermetic, almost
impenetrable:he was a soldier...Dardo Rocha was an obsessed of the
egyptian rites: he took a sabbatical year (1888) and travelled in Egypt to
buy two mummies, deeping inside egyptian Masonry...And Pedro Benoit,
Joaquín V.González and Francisco P.Moreno were fluent in rituals.
Emilia Carlota Salzá is the only woman whose tomb shows strong egyptian
and masonic signs. She was a teacher, journalist and writer, and a
prominent member of a female Lodge in the 20´s and 30´s: "Daughters of
Isis"...She died on August 26th 1950.
Above the door you can see palms and upper, you can read: "I AM ALL THAT
HATH BEEN, AND IS, AND SHALL BE, AND MY VEIL NO MORTAL HAS HITHERTO RAISED".
At the door foot, just a word: "MYSTERIUM".
León Pagés (1878-1957) was an attorney, and Director de Escuelas in Buenos
Aires province.
His tomb represents a temple with a human head sphinx and a lion´s body.
In summer evenings, the sunlight projects a shadow according the sphinx´s
location: and A SQUARE IS DRAWN OVER THE CHECKERED FLOOR.
Scipio Pelanda Ponce was a distinguished architect..He died on April 2nd
1927. Above his tomb´s door the WINGED SOLAR DISK arises.
It´s an almighty symbol: when a member of the Order dies, the UREUS (a
lobulate serpent) keeps his everlasting rest.
An odd coincidence, or not, both Pagés and Pelanda Ponce died exactly 26
years after buying the lands where the mausoleums were built..
And coincidence or not, they were not first in taking their resting
places.
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It is said that, in a second , you can change your fate or take a decision
that alter the route of your existence. Time is scarce confronting what we
receive.
And we must make good use of that. Eternity is awaiting. Even if we can
choose our final abode, our resting place.
Because the steps that any man takes in the universe are so uncertain as
the which ones he takes with the bandage on, on the way to the Lodge.
If he walks with an open mind, that steps must finally lead him to the
more perfect of all fates: TRUTH.
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