Fellowcraft Members of Kautantowit's Mecautea
Congratulations on advancing to the second degree of Kautantowit's Mecautea!
As an Entered Apprentice of KM, you began your travels as a candidate. But as a Fellowcraft, you continue as a Brother/Sister. In this degree the instrument changes from the sharp point of caution and secrecy to the square, a symbol of morality, honesty, fair dealings and truthfulness. You were received into the KM tribal lodge on the square to remind you that the square should be the rule and guide in your future actions with mankind.
MEANING AND ORIGIN OF THE TERM FELLOWCRAFT
"Fellowcraft - is one of a large number of terms that have a technical meaning peculiar to Kautantowit's Mecautea (KM) and are Seldom found elsewhere. In the period of operative spiritual or religious organizations or associations, a "craft" was an organization of skilled workmen in some trade or calling; a "fellow" meant one who held membership in such a craft obligated to the same duties and allowed the same privileges as all other members. In this stage, your task is to acquire knowledge and apply it to the building of your character and improving the society in which you live as a KM member.
The Fellow Craft Degree addresses the mind and its faculties. We are instructed in the Seven Liberal Arts and Sciences, which were formulated hundreds of years ago, in order to develop and perfect the mental nature. The intention was to prepare the mind for spiritual truths.
In Kautantowit's Mecautea "craft" possesses two separate meanings, one of which we may call the operative meaning, the other the Speculative. In their operative period KM Members are skilled workmen engaged as architects and builders. Like other skilled workmen, they had an organized craft of their own, the general form of which was called a "guild."
A KM Lodge is a local organization of the KM association within a state territory oftentimes evolving into a child church. This guild had officers, laws, rules, regulations, and customs of its own rigorously binding on all members.
It divided its membership into two grades, the lower of which, composed of Apprentices, was explained to you in an earlier degree. At the end of a member's apprenticeship, he was examined in a Lodge; and if his record was good, if he could prove his proficiency test, and if the members voted in his favor, he was released from his apprenticeship and made a full member, or "Fellow," of the craft. Such is the Operative meaning of Fellowcraft.
According to the Ancient Charges, the term "Master" was applied to the head, or ruler, of a Lodge, today when referencing to our spiritual leaders when referencing to their degree.
The term Fellowcraft Is the name of the Second Degree; of the ritualistic ceremonies and other contents of that degree; of a member of it; and to a Lodge when opened on it. You are a Fellowcraft; you passed through its ceremonies, assumed its obligations, are registered as such in the books of the KM Lodge, and can sit in either a Lodge of Apprentices or of Fellowcrafts but not of Master Members. Your duties are to do and be all that is required of Fellowcrafts.
SYMBOLISM OF THE DEGREE
In the Degree of Fellowcraft, we emphasize the dignity and worth of the individual. Humans should be an instrument of the Supreme Architect. of the Universe. As such, humans are the workman of earth whose duty is to invent, create, and achieve; and by doing so, express his own genius and individuality. All Lodges are designed to encourage-the development of the individual and to allow a man to become as great as he wants to be.
The Degree of Fellowcaft symbolizes man in the prime years of human life. They are portrayed as an adult who is ready to accept the responsibilities of life, not only for themself, but also for their family and all of society.
When a Mason assumes the duties and privileges of a Fellowcraft, they are taught that they are responsible for their own destiny and that of the State. The themes of this Degree are education and achievement. The more a person learns through pursuit of knowledge, the more he/she achieves.
Your Fellowcraft obligation was broader than that of Entered Apprentice. In the Entered Apprentice. Degree, the need for secrecy was stressed. Now as a Fellowcraft, the needs of your fellow man are stressed. The promises contained in your obligation encompass the duties a man owes to God.
Darkness has always symbolized ignorance. The hoodwink is a symbol of ignorance. Without darkness, you could not appreciate light. For your heart to receive truth, the eye was hoodwinked from distractions. The appreciation of Masonic light was made more meaningful. It came from the Scriptures: "And God said: Let there be light and there was light." (Genesis 1:3)
As mentioned, the Fellowcraft degree symbolizes the years of manhood. During these years he obtains knowledge and applies this knowledge to the building of his character, and improving the society in which he lives.
The compilers of our Masonic ritual conceived Masonry to be used to educate man in the liberal arts and sciences. In the Ritual of the Degree, a Fellowcraft is urged to advance his education in these fields. By using the process of Initiation, the symbolic importance of the liberal arts and science is stressed.
Egyptians formulated the first disease theory in history, predating traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurveda by at least a 1,000 years, perhaps more, referring to the Pyramid age and before. A most important contribution to world medicine is its pain-substance theory, which was hugely influential on subsequent medical systems, or could even be regarded as their origin.
In 2nd century B.C. Clemens Alexanrinus was sure, that the Egyptians collected all their knowledge in 42 secret books. of which last six contained medical knowledge. Despite this and records of other ancient authors, for long time the opinion about the history of medicine was not changed. In traditional view the role of Hippocrates and the Greeks was emphasized. In 19th century egyptologist began finding Egyptian papyri, whose contents concerned medical matters. The first medical papyrus was published by Georg Ebers in 1875. The Ebers Papyrus is a scroll 20,23 meters in length and contains 108 columns of text. I is dated at the reign of Amenophis I (1536 B.C.).
This papyrus was published and translated by different researches (the most valuable is German edition Grundriss de Medizin de alten ägypter, and based on this Paul Ghalioungui edition). In the opinion of Grundriss, chaotic arrangement of medical advices in papyrus suggest different originals from which they drew. The text of The Ebers Papyrus is ordered in series of prescriptions, which are grouped according to different diseases, illnesses and injuries. Almost all of those groups have introduction by the formula: "Here begins.." used on 36 occasions. They are, however, often varied and disorganised. The owner of this papyrus was probably a physician - the text mentions about "physician secrets". Herodotus writes, that Egyptian physicians were specialized, which seems to be confirmed by The Ebers Papyrus.
Egyptian medicine operates on a detoxification model, integrated into other aspects of old pharaonic culture, especially in the techniques of mummification, where the impure substance that causes decay or pain must be eradicated. Egyptian medicine, like many traditional systems, has an important pharmacopoeia of plants and minerals, which can be exploited in modern therapies. Basically, Egyptian medicine lives on in other systems that came after.
Papyrus Ebers Secret Book Of Physician
One of the oldest text books known now as Papyrus Ebers , but to the Egyptians as The Secret books of the Physician provides in a nutshell everything one needs to know about Egyptian medicine. It says: “I came from Heliopolis with the priests of the great temple, the lords of eternity and possessors of the means of protection.” This implies the long lineage to this knowledge, that starts with priests and scribes in the temple, specifically knowledge that comes from the aptly named ‘House of Life’ .
The ‘House of Life’ was a library of treasured books that every temple possessed, even the smallest would have one or two books. A major temple such as that at Edfu would have several special rooms set apart, with often the walls decorated with examples of key formula, as in the well-known ‘Laboratory of Edfu’ where many special incenses and drugs were prepared.