Welcome Autumn!  

Did you know that while Freemasonry does not have a formal celebration for the Autumnal Equinox, it does have some lodge or region-specific celebrations and reflections? Michaelmas, the Feast Day of St. Michael (September 29), was designated in the original 1723 Masonic Constitutions as one of the four cornerstone dates of the Masonic calendar.

While largely forgotten by modern North American lodges, it is still recognized by some traditional European lodges. Esoterically, Michaelmas is treated as the spiritual marker of autumn, celebrating the triumph of light and willpower over darkness. Many grand lodges and regional bodies host annual "Autumn Days" or harvest festivals.

These are not secret, esoteric rituals but rather public-facing family and charity events. The most famous example is hosted by the Masonic Villages in Pennsylvania, which has held an Autumn Day gathering since 1985 to celebrate fellowship and support local Masonic charities In Masonic symbolism, the sun travels between the north and south, and the equinoxes represent perfect equilibrium, because the autumn equinox features exactly 12 hours of light and 12 hours of darkness.  

It is frequently used by Masons as a time to reflect on the principle of "keeping it on the level" and balancing one's passions and actions. There is also a balance between the two Johns: Symbolically, the autumn equinox sits exactly halfway between Freemasonry's two main feast days: the Feast of St. John the Baptist (Summer Solstice, June 24) and the Feast of St. John the Evangelist (Winter Solstice, December 27). So, since the balance occurs now, let us reflect on the concept of balance and being “on the level”. Black and white. Light and darkness. Joy and sorrow. Knowledge and ignorance. Life and death. Two opposing forces, in conflict, yet something we have to balance every day.  

Yin and Yang is a foundational concept in Chinese philosophy that describes how seemingly opposite forces are actually complementary, interconnected, and interdependent. Yin represents the dark, passive, cold, receptive, and feminine principle and is symbolized by the shady side of a hill, water, the moon, and stillness.  

Yang represents the bright, active, hot, assertive, and masculine principle. It is symbolized by the sunny side of a hill, fire, the sun, and movement.  Neither force can exist without the other; light needs darkness to be defined, and rest needs activity. The familiar yin and yang symbol (or Taijitu) features a small dot of each color inside the opposite half, showing that each force contains the seed of its opposite. Yin and yang are never static. They exist in an endless cycle where an increase in one eventually leads to a decrease and transition into the other (such as day turning into night, or summer into winter )

This balance personally represents more of the 24-inch gauge in my experience.  I  think that it encompasses more than just two sides of things: that our lives are much  more divided in to more that two parts, which makes balancing so much more difficult and complicated.  

There is so much in-between, different shades of black and white,  different levels of light and darkness, varied levels of joy and sorrow, diverse levels of knowledge and ignorance, and the liminality of life and death.  Ultimately, this returns me to the concept of "the level" in a deeper, more spiritual sense. My journey and the  

discoveries along the way, trying to find life’s balance,  feel profoundly meaningful,  serving as a constant reminder that we all travel the level of time toward "that  undiscovered country, from whose bourn no traveler returns.”  We are all on that same travel together brothers, so let us make use of the time wisely, live with integrity, treat people fairly, and focus on what truly matters.  

Speaking of things that truly matter, in our stated meeting for October we will be  balloting on accepting a new member, reflecting on past discussion of the future of  Washington Lodge #20, and sharing an oration on Astronomy that has been reported as leaving us “seeing the Stars”  

Another important event that truly matters will be Annual Communications at which we  will be voting on important matter that we will discuss in our stated meeting, as well as  installing a new Grand Lodge, which will include our own Matt Mason as Grand  Steward. I encourage you to attend on October 9-11 in San Francisco.  

An absolute must event that matter more than that, of course, is the raising of  brother Isai Jaimes to the sublime Degree of Master Mason that will take place in Union  City at the Siminoff Daylight Lodge #850. The Third Degree ceremony will include the residents of the Masonic Home that can attend as a way to provide brotherly love from our lodge to theirs.  This will take place on Saturday, October 17th at noon. Lunch will be served, and the degree will begin at 1:00 PM.