Reflections on the Four Tassels.

When I was made an E. A. it was explained to me that the four tassels
pendent from the four corners of the :: reprepented the four cardinal
virtues, namely: Temperance, Fortitude, Prudence, and Justice.  I found this
statement profoundly important in the light of F......... and it caused me to
think about it.

The first thought that came to my mind was:- why were they hanging from
the ceiling? Could it possibly have something to do with the height of
perfection in mind and character that every F........ strives for? And why
were they made of gold? Why not of crystal to glorify the shining light from
above; why not marble to reflect on eternity? No, they were made of gold,
the metal that to so many is the outward sign of rank and fortune which I
had obligated myself not to seek for its own sake.  I concluded that gold
could represent the extreme and ultimate value of the four cardinal virtues.

The first of these is Temperance which means moderation and sobriety. To
me it also connotes self-discipline especially with regard to our natural
appetites and human desires.  It is a frequent desire in our society to excel
the accomplishments of others and doing so with extreme disregard to the
true values of life and living.  The true values we must seek, nothing else
will give preeminence and a standard of excellence which results in worthy
satisfaction and lasting happiness.

Fortitude is the power to endure, the power to confront danger, it definitely
does not mean stoicism; but then it would be foolish to assume that we are
expected to become Zeno's deciples.  We were given a voice to cry out in
pain, but we were also given the capacity to repel, and ingenuity to adjust. 
Fortitude to me means to have, with Divine help, the courage to face the
adversities of life.

The third cardinal virtue is Prudence.  The denotation of prudence is: the
habit of acting with careful deliberation.  It means that we have to develop
a mode of reacting in this particular manner which may sooner or later
result in perspicacity or wisdom.  Prudence is wisdom applied to practice
and it implies that we should take cautious and judicious steps in all our
undertakings.

The fourth cardinal virtue is Justice.  Justice to me does not simply mean
to apply reward or punishment warranted. Justice means a human quality
of being just.  This includes uprightness of mind and character, to be
straight and exact, complete and true, but always with benevolence in our
hearts.  All these attributes must inevitably invoke trust which is one of the
basic requirements of social intercourse.

When we are building our temple we use a great variety of materials
supplied to us by the G.A.O.U., the craft teaches us how to use these
materials to His satisfaction, but we must not be satisfied until we have
adorned this temple with the "Four Tassels".
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