playnext.fm

Short Talk Bulletin

Corn Wine And Oil V8N8

·15 min·1 clip
Brother Andy Caron presents a 1930 article explaining why Masons use corn, wine, and oil in lodge ceremonies.
The episode is a narrated reading of an article from August 1930 titled 'Corn, Wine, and Oil' by Carl H. Clotty, presented by Brother Andy Caron. It begins by establishing corn, wine, and oil as the wages paid to ancient brethren building King Solomon's Temple, now used symbolically in Masonic lodges. The article references biblical passages from Deuteronomy, Chronicles, and Nehemiah that mention these substances as tithes and measures of trade. It explains that oil from olives was crucial in ancient Palestine for food, lighting, bathing, anointment, and surgical dressings, produced by pressing or beating olives. The 'corn' of the Bible is clarified as grain like barley and wheat, not modern maize, with symbolic ties to abundance through figures like Demeter. Wine from vineyards is described as a source of wealth and comfort, with details on vineyard protection and wine production. The episode then connects these elements to Masonic rituals, noting their use in dedicating new lodges to the Holy Saints John, with the point within a circle symbol linked to solstices. It describes the ceremonial pouring of corn, wine, and oil by Grand Lodge officers as symbols of nourishment, refreshment, and joy. Variations in ceremonies across jurisdictions are acknowledged, with recommendations for using specific grains, olive oil, and sacramental wine. The conclusion emphasizes that modern Masons receive these as spiritual wages for labor in self-improvement and brotherly service, echoing the biblical principle of earning bread through sweat.

As heard by us

Three lodge symbols turn into a plainspoken look at sacrifice, scripture, and earned wages.

This Short Talk Bulletin installment treats corn, wine, and oil as more than lodge language. It reads them through labor, sacrifice, and the meaning of Masonic wages, moving from scripture into ceremony and then into the ordinary work of vineyards and harvests.

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

A reflective Masonic lesson on corn, wine, and oil, and what they symbolize as wages.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →
Listen to the show on
Apple PodcastsSpotify
Play clips from this episodeMore from Short Talk Bulletin