Present in only certain Masonic Rites is a small room, known as the Chamber of Reflection, in which a Candidate is left on his own prior to his Initiation. It is one of Freemasonry’s most alluring, thought-provoking and truly esoteric of symbols.
In some Grand Lodge Jurisdictions, the Chamber of Reflection is the starting point for each Mason on his journey into the symbolic and dramatic realm of Freemasonry. It is a kind of twilight, in which the Candidate may turn back if he desires, but from which he will always be forever changed. Even if he chooses, or in some instances fails, to progress through the ceremonies of the remaining Masonic Degrees, he will be changed by his experiences in this room, which forces him to reflect upon his reason for wishing to become a Mason, and as such, for all his actions in life.
A single candle placed on a table, where pen and paper await, lights this Chamber of Reflection. The table is also adorned with a human skull, some bones, a lump of bread, a flask of water, an hour glass, a mirror, a saucer containing salt and another containing sulfur. On the walls, murals are painted in white on a black background: a cockerel with the words vigilance and perseverance written below it, a scythe, and a sign that reads V.I.T.R.I.O.L.– the ancient acronym that commands to examine oneself. The purpose of this room is to cause the Candidate to indulge in those serious meditations which the room’s somber appearance and gloomy emblems with which it is furnished are calculated to produce. These symbols derive from alchemy, which has provided us with all the symbols we today associate with metamorphosis. After seclusion, the Initiate is requested to write his moral and philosophical testament, to be later read in the Lodge.
It is only in solitude that we can deeply reflect upon our present or future undertakings; and a man who has undertaken a thing after mature reflection seldom turns back.
This isolation, originally in a hut or cave, is the beginning of a ritual symbolic of metamorphosis or a chrysalis hatching from its cocoon; and the Initiate comes out of darkness a new person. This custom is normal with most cultures and in places where initiation rites are traditional. This causes the Initiate to consider such notions of symbolism that are rich in the metaphors: life, death, transition and rapture. Of course, today we have moved from these caves or huts into those Lodges that use this in their ritual.
This symbolic journey is the “trial and proof of earth” for Masons today. The noted symbols focus the mind of the novitiate on the essence of life and to free him from those phantoms that establish light and darkness in opposition. This initial trial and proof of earth indicates the journey forward. Symbolism shows how words create images, and these images end up in myths and various tails of truths, which have a bit of truth, but pass on winding paths leading from desires to ideas.
The Chamber of Reflection is the place where exploration of these paths begin, showing the Initiate certain symbols to raise vital questions and then submitting answers to pen and paper. It causes him to learn that one must search within oneself, as the truth is hidden there, and this truth is the real solution to our problems. Even without going beyond the scope of this exposition, and presenting the rest of the First Degree ritual as performed in most countries of the world, it is possible to imagine what an impression this initial part of the ritual makes on a Candidate being ushered into our honorable institution. The Chamber of Reflection teaches powerful lessons indeed. True initiation is an individual internal process. No one can transform a man but himself. Others may guide and help, but ultimately, the individual alone is the only one who can perform the great work. The Chamber of Reflection truly epitomizes this process.
by Shawn Donohugh
The author is a Past Master of Moneta Lodge No. 405 (now Gardena-Moneta Lodge No. 372) and a four-time Past Master of Los Angeles Harbor Lodge No. 332. He currently serves as the Secretary of Los Angeles Harbor Lodge No. 332, Secretary of the Southern California Past Master’s Association, is a member of the Grand Lodge of California’s Lodge Support Committee, and served as Senior Grand Deacon for the Grand Lodge of California in 2014-2015.
