Blazing Star

An important symbol in Freemasonry, often being included in the jewel of the Grand Master, along with the compasses and quadrant. Strange to say, there is great diversity of opinion and practically no authoritative declaration as to what among heavenly bodies it represents. We must appreciate that there are many things in Freemasonry, the exact derivation, symbolism, meaning, purpose, significance, or necessity of which are unknown, and the greatest mistake we can make is to dogmatize about them and make ourselves, as well as others, believe that we know the answers. All we can do is to trace a thing back as far as we can through Masonic rituals and lectures as they have been treated by the various lecturers, ritualists, and writers. In doing that, we usually find a number of changes with the passing years and we seldom know when we have found the original of a symbol, legend, tradition, or principle.

The heavens were an open book of never ceasing wonders which the ancient peoples could not avoid reading. Moreover, it was a picture book, the illustrations being furnished by the imaginations of the viewers, with more or less tendency toward standardization of pattern and dogmatic significance of the forms taken by the many bodies and constellations. There must have been a period when that was not so, when there was considerable uncertainty and dispute as to what stars formed what figures. What we now call a constellation consists simply of the stars within an artificial and imaginary boundary. But the relations between the border stars of two adjacent constellations are as fixed as are the relations between stars in what we call the same constellation. Perhaps we are Masonically, as it were, in the period before the dogma of all symbols have become settled. Many ancient people w*rshipped the stars or some of them and they often felt that certain stars or constellations were their especial protectors or g*ds. Amos (5:26) said: ”But ye have borne the tabernacle of your Moloch and Chiun your images, the star of your g*d, which ye made to yourselves.” Chiun was the name applied by the Hebrews to Saturn and Moloch and was used for the same purpose by surrounding tribes. Evidently, this sort of th*ology was derived from the Egyptians, who w*rshipped Saturn (Anubis) the Dog Star, so-called because it is often behind the Sun and rises out of the rim of the Sun (called heliacal rising) and, therefore, seems to follow the Sun as a dog follows his master. This heliacal rising happened to coincide generally with the annual inundation by the waters of the Nile which made Anubis of especial importance to the Egyptians.

But whether the Blazing Star of Freemasonry refers to Saturn or the Sun or some other heavenly body is not ascertainable. The first mention of it in Masonic symbology occurred about 1735, when it was included in the furniture of the lodge and occupied the center of the Mosaic Pavement forming the floor of the lodge. It is represented as a sun with blazing (wavy) lines of heat and light radiating therefrom. In Historical Landmarks (Vol. I, p. 133), Oliver states that in a primitive tracing board of the Entered Apprentice Degree, published early in the 18th century, the Blazing Star occupied the center of the tracing board and was called the glory in the center and, in his Symbol of Glory (p. 292), that author said: ”The Great Architect of the Universe is therefore symbolized in Freemasonry by the Blazing Star, as the herald of our s*lvation.” Next came three spokesmen who were contemporaries in the last half of the 18th century, Preston, Hutchinson, and Dunckerley. Preston’s lecture used the term ornaments of the lodge to include the Blazing Star, the Mosaic Pavement, the Tesselated Border and stated: ”The Blazing Star, or glory in the center, reminds us of that awful period when the Alm*ghty delivered the two tablets of stone, containing the ten commandments, to His faithful servant Moses on Mount Sinai; when the rays of his divine glory shone so bright that none could behold it without fear and trembling. It also reminds us of the omnipresence of the Alm*ghty, overshadowing us with His divine love, and dispensing His blessings amongst us; and by it being placed in the center, it further reminds us, that wherever we may be assembled together, G*d is in the midst of us, seeing our actions, and observing the secret intents and movements of our hearts.” The latter portion of that statement seems to verge over into the symbolism of the ALL-SEEING EYE (q.v.).

Hutchinson called the Blazing Star ”the first and most exalted object that demands our attention in the Lodge,” and said: (Spirit of Masonry, Lecture V, p. 111) that the Blazing Star was a symbol of Prudence and that ”It is placed in the center, ever to be present to the eye of the Mason, that his heart may be attentive to her dictates and steadfast in her laws;--for Prudence is the rule of all Virtues; Prudence is the path that leads to every degree of propriety; Prudence is the channel where self-approbation flows for ever; she leads us forth to worthy actions and, as a Blazing Star, enlightens us through the dreary and darksome paths of this life.” Hutchinson, as a secondary symbolism, adopted the so-called Dunckerley allusion to the Star of Bethlehem.

Dunckerley’s name is used here with doubtful propriety, for there is no evidence that he wrote any lectures or other portion of the rituals, though he did make a number of Masonic addresses, from which others may have borrowed to formulate their own lectures or parts of the rituals. But to speak of Dunckerley’s lectures, adopted by the Grand Lodge, is unjustified. Dunckerley is supposed to have said that the Blazing Star represented ”the star which led the wise men to Bethlehem, proclaiming to mankind the nativity of the Son of G*d, and here conducting our spiritual progress to the Author of our r*demption.”

Webb’s Monitor, which was used as the basis of the lectures throughout the United States had the following to say in the First Degree lecture, and this remained in editions as late as the 23rd of 1869: ”The ornamental parts of the Lodge, displayed in this section, are the Mosaic Pavement, the Indented Tessel, and the Blazing Star. The Mosaic Pavement is a representation of the ground floor of King Solomon’s temple; the Indented Tessel that beautiful tesselated border, or skirting, which surrounded it; and the Blazing Star, in the center, is commemorative of the star which appeared to guide the wise men of the East to the place of our S*vior’s nativity. The Mosaic Pavement is emblematic of human life, checkered with good and evil; the Beautiful Border which surrounds it, those blessings and comforts which surround us, and which we hope to obtain by a faithful reliance on Divine Providence, which is hieroglyphically represented by the Blazing Star in the center.” But the Baltimore Convention of 1843 (see CONVENTIONS AND CONGRESSES, MASONIC) deemed this Chr*stian symbology inappropriate to a pre-Chr*stian temple symbolism and resolved to omit the Star of Bethlehem idea, retaining the allusion to Divine Providence. It will be observed that Rob Morris, who edited and published the 23rd edition (and possibly other editions) of Webb’s Monitor, did not follow the recommendations of the Baltimore Convention, though he was very familiar with them.

The lectures of the United Grand Lodge of England as revised by Dr. Flemming, following the Union of 1813, stated: ”The Blazing Star, or glory in the center, refers to the Sun, which enlightens the earth with its refulgent rays, dispensing its blessings to mankind at large, and giving light and life to all things here below.”

This part of the lecture of the Entered Apprentice Degree, as given in California and some other States is as follows: ”The Ornaments of a Lodge are the Mosaic Pavement, the Indented Tessel, and the Blazing Star. The Mosaic Pavement is a representation of the ground floor of King Solomon’s Temple and is emblematic of human life, checkered with good and evil. The Indented Tessel is a representation of the beautiful tesselated border or skirting which surrounded the pavement, and is emblematic of the manifold blessings and comforts which surround us, and which we hope to enjoy by a faithful reliance upon Divine Providence, hieroglyphically represented by the Blazing Star in the Center.”

In the 4th degree of the Scottish Rite, the Blazing Star is called a symbol of light and of Divine Providence pointing to Truth; in the 9th degree it is called the Star of Direction and is an emblem of Divine Providence guiding the pilgrimage through life; in the 28th degree it is a symbol of the true Mason, who, by perfecting himself in the way of truth, becomes like a blazing star, thus, making the Blazing Star a symbol of truth. Albert Pike, in Morals and Dogma of the A. & A. S. R., gave this symbol various meanings as follows: Horus, offspring of the Sun and Moon (p. 14); an ornament of the lodge (p. 15); emblem of Divine Truth (p. 136); Sirius (p. 486); Prudence, Omniscience, the All-Seeing Eye and the Sun (p. 506); birth of the Sun (p. 787); Star of Truth formed by Faith above Reason resting on Revelation (p. 841); an image in every initiation, sign of the Grand Arcanum of the Magis, the Quintescence of the Alchemists, and the Pentagon of the Kabbalists (p. 842).

A reasonable resolution of all this confusion is possible. The Sun (q.v.) and Moon (q.v.) are old Masonic symbols, so, what room is there for a Blazing Star if the Star of Bethlehem is ruled out? The Blazing Star is not the ordinary five-pointed star of Freemasonry, the Pentalpha; nor is it the heraldic six-pointed star. Indeed, it has no points at all but is such a brilliant globe that, instead of points, innumerable flaming, wavy rays representing the quivering appearance of heat and light emanate in all directions from it. Accordingly, it is no star at all, but is represented exactly as the Sun is represented and is in fact the Sun. If that is not already the fact, then, the Blazing Star should now be made identical with the Sun; otherwise, we have the Sun outshining the Blazing Star, thereby rendering the latter secondary and unnecessary, or we have the Blazing Star outshining the Sun, which is monstrous, because everybody knows that the Sun outshines every other object that ever has appeared in our sky. It would be no better to equate the two, for that would give us two equally brilliant Suns, with absurd results. While symbolism need not be absolutely logical or realistic, it ought not to be so incongruous as to be absurd or unbelievable or inconsistent with itself or other symbolism.