mastering the art of learning ritual
by
Bro. Graeme J. Beresford
It seems strange to me how the
routine of something which we all have to do in Freemasonry doesn't have any
guidance given to our Brethren. From our first steps into the Lodge room we
see others quoting, from memory, pages and pages of text, some better than
others, only to beg the question; "How can they do that?"
Well brother like everything else
in the world of knowledge. If you don't know the rules of the game, how do
you expect you will ever be able to play?
There has been countless
experiments done with memory over the years and many books written as well.
I have two books which I believe are useful for general memory, the second
will I believe be of best use to fellow Brethren.
This
second book
is nearly 400 pages long and so I wont be going through it all in depth,
just to offer a summary of part.
The core for our purposes is a
method they term their MASTER plan. Seems a good idea for Freemasons as you
would agree it is an easy word for us to remember.
This word is an acronym for the
six steps in remembering. Our purpose is to learn those pages of ritual.
M
The M is for
Motivating your mind.
If there is lack of purpose or reason in anything you do then chances are
you are setting yourself up for failure right away. Ritual was not invended
to confuse and torture us, nor to show how some Brethren are smarter than
others, nor was it meant as a showcase for the ridicule of others.
Ritual is a means of teaching
moral lessons. By memorising the ritual, you are remembering those lessons
and it gives you the basic tools to ponder these lessons for your own life.
The analogy of the ritual increases this capacity for learning from the
ritual and aims for a deeper understanding of yourself.
This is one of the goals for
learning ritual. I believe it is one worth remembering. Other Brethren tell
me that after years in Freemasonry that they still learn much from the
ritual. The ritual doesn't change much over that period of time, even if
some Brethren would disagree with me there, it is the individual who changes
and learns more as his knowledge grows. This growth continues for the rest
of your life. It never ends.
Other reasons for ritual include
helping the Lodge with ceremonial and to take an active part in the
proceedings. Taking part and working in this team can be very rewarding and
enriching as you work together for a common goal and to make that meeting a
success. A meeting with good ritual does leave a good impression for
listeners and does get them thinking about the lessons you have learnt
yourself.
Personal growth as a ritualist is
also very important. You may have your favourite charges under your belt,
but then you stagnate by not pressing yourself to take on new challenges.
We are all taken by the path in
getting to that chair. It is a goal placed before us and can be a challenge
for some and a scary undertaking for others. If you have in your mind a way
of a learning the ritual on that path, it will make the challenge more
appealing and less scary. Not forgetting that there is always life after the
chair.
So you want to learn ritual? What
do you learn? If you are a newly made Master Mason you might consider
looking at the Inner Guard and Tyler's work. You might also take on a small
charge, see your Director of Ceremonies for advice. As a rule for climbing
offices you should during your year, learn the ritual of your one up office.
Make full use of practise nights to fine tune your current work and Lodge of
Instruction for your preparation for the following year.
Yes at first it sounds like a lot
to take on, and we still haven't really started the memory process. At this
point you should feel a hunger to learn your ritual and to enjoy all that it
will give you.
A
The A is for Acquiring the
information. Firstly you have to get the ritual into your mind. The memory
has three ways of receiving information;
- Visual (Seeing/ Reading)
- Auditory (Listening)
- Kinaesthetic (Doing /
Writing / Typing)
To get the most out of the
acquiring of your ritual, you must do all three. You must read the ritual.
Read it by looking at it about 5 times. You will have made a visual
impression of the words in your mind. Then listen to the words as you again
read the ritual 5 times aloud. Listen to your tone of voice. Look for the
patterns of expression as you speak. Then write or type out the ritual by
hand. Read and repeat the words in your mind.
Once you have learned your ritual
at home, then comes the step most often missed by Brethren. Practising in
the Lodge. But be clear that at this stage you are not ready for a Lodge
practise night, but rather a Lodge of Instruction. Be clear of your cues in
moving to your place to deliver your ritual, where do you stand, how do you
stand, how do you trigger your first line? All these questions need to be
answered. You should have a place worked out where best to sit. You should
know when you should rise and move to your place of delivery. You should
know if you need to acknowledge the chair. You should be able to face the
Brethren calm and collected. You should have your cue set for the first line
and be thinking a few words ahead of yourself as you deliver at a slow, calm
and steady pace.
Once you have acknowledged these
steps, you can move on.
S
The S is for Searching out the
meaning. Most ritual comes about from events. They may be based on fact and
can easily be researched. Others are biblical and may require a depth of
interpretation and others are mythical and may only be known within
Freemasonry. One should take the time to discover something about the ritual
in its deeper meaning and the symbols which it represents. It helps images
to come to mind if you know something of the background of the events which
took place. Make use of the libraries and Brethren who may be able to share
material with you.
T
The T is for Triggering the
memory. When delivering ritual it is important to ensure the sequence is
known and kept. Once you move into place and are ready to deliver your first
line, you should have it ready to go and be thinking of the next one to
deliver. Visualise the text on the page. See the next paragraph coming, feel
the tone of your voice as you deliver it. Feel when you are ready for the
next line.
E
The E is for Exhibiting what you
know. First look into a mirror and repeat your ritual as you learn. Feel
confident that you can achieve your goal. Speak at Lodge of Instruction and
experiment freely with how you are going to deliver your work. Then prepare
for the practise night already knowing where you should be sitting, knowing
what cues there are to rise and move into place. Have that first line in
your mind when you rise and when start delivering the first line, have ready
the next one to go. Feel relaxed and feel confident as you have done the
hard work and this is the reward.
R
Finally the R is for Review. Take
the time to sit quietly and review your ritual. Was it received well? Did
you feel that you were comfortable? What could you have done to improve the
experience.
Take note of these details and
add them into your personal plan for
MASTERing the Art of Learning
Ritual.
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