Lion cub Judah: from the prey, my son, you came up; he hunched over, lay down like a lion, and like an old lion; who will wake him up?

overall 49:9

In the tribal blessing pronounced on Judah and the tribe of which he was the founder, the term lion cub symbolized strength. Therefore, the emblem of the banner of the Tribe of Judah was a lion. The same symbolism is found in Masonic ritual and has enjoyed various philosophical and theological interpretations.

For our Christian brothers, the phrase “Lion of the tribe of Judah” refers to the Messiah, who is said to have brought light and immortality to the world. For our Jewish brothers, Judah was the fourth son of the patriarch Jacob and represents the fourth point discussed in ancient Freemasonry. Kings David and Solomon are also said to have descended from the tribe of Judah. However, there is an older use of the lion’s paw that may have application in Masonic mysteries.

Candidates who successfully passed the Mithraic initiations were called Lions and were marked on their foreheads with the Egyptian cross or ankh. Throughout the Mithraic ritual references were made to Mithras as the Sun God, who came to earth to offer himself as a sacrifice for man and, with his death, give men eternal life. After initiation, the candidate was hailed as someone who had risen from the grave and was allowed to learn the secret Persian mysteries that originated with Zarathustra.

Although popularized by the Romans and the belief that at least one Roman emperor was initiated into the order, the Rites of Mithras were Persian in origin and later migrated to southern Europe. “Mithra” is the Zend-Avesta title for the sun and he/she dwelt within that orb. Mithra was both male and female and, as a deity, represented the “feminine principle”. That phrase has been popularized most recently in Dan Brown’s work of fiction titled The Da Vinci Code. However, unlike representing the Holy Grail, as Mary Magdalene did in Brown’s work, the feminine side of Mithras represented Nature while the masculine side represented the sun bathing Nature so that flora and fauna would grow. fauna. With this understanding it is easier to also understand the connection between Freemasonry and the Rites of Mithra.

In a book of Masonic symbolism, Freemasons are taught that the sacred geometry of Pythagoras connects man with nature by teaching him about its most hidden recesses; how things in nature are connected; and that innumerable worlds surround humanity that the Great Architect of the Universe has connected through the laws of nature. It is rightly stated that an examination of nature first caused man to study symmetry and order, which led to the discovery of all useful arts. Freemasonry also teaches that the Supreme Intelligence pervades all of nature and is described later in the book of Revelation as the Sea of ​​Glass.

The Book of Masonic Symbolism Rites of Mithra also gave Freemasonry the symbolism of the lesser lights, i.e. the sun, moon and Mercury (later replaced by the Master of the lodge). This symbolism is intended to explain the natural order of hierarchical authority: just as the sun governs the day and the moon governs the night, the Worshipful Master, with equal regularity, must govern and govern the lodge. However, even with such widespread evidence of Mithraic influences on Freemasonry, what is the significance of the lion’s claw grip?

The initiates in the Mithraic mysteries passed through three important degrees. In the first degree, the candidate was taught about his own spiritual nature, which must manifest itself through disciplined conduct. In the second degree, the candidate representing the mediator between good and evil, light and darkness was instructed and sent to a dark pit to fight the beasts of lust. Finally, in third grade, he was provided with a cape with designs of the zodiac, including the sign of Leo, which represented a lion. The candidate is said to have been raised from the grave by the power generated by the influence of the sun in Leo, or the strong grip of the lion’s claw. In the fact that other Mithraic symbolisms are found in Masonic symbolism, the possibility that this symbolism also originated from those rites cannot be ignored. However, even so, what is the symbolic importance for Freemasons?

Mithra was derived from the teachings of Zarathrustra which taught that good and evil existed in the world side by side. Freemasons are taught by one of their “ornaments” that human existence is marked by good and evil. Real life experiences prove this to be the case: the battle between good and evil was vividly shown during World War II, as well as during the course of other well-known conflicts. The Rites of Mithra also teach that good will ultimately prevail over evil, as symbolized by the energy of the sun that rises each day in the east. It is said that that great orb can rise due to the force of the Leo that resides in its orbit: the lion’s claw grip!

As Masons pass through the three degrees necessary to ultimately achieve Master Mason status, they become fully aware that the Craft requires them to engage in exercises designed to make them morally upright: good soldiers for the cause of good in the conflict between good and good. and evil, light and dark. Symbolically rising from the grave of transgression, the candidate is finally recognized as sufficiently prepared to exemplify goodness to the rest of the world. Whether or not he makes good use of those tools as Master Masons have done in ages past is strictly up to the individual candidate. He can choose good or evil, light or darkness; and in doing so he creates the temple in which the Supreme Architect of the Universe will reside, or the tomb into which evil will ultimately be cast.

The Freemason who knows why he was raised will never, never, never die. He was not bred for deceit and cunning, he was bred for the grasp of the lion’s paw.