What is the South Column?
As mentioned on the inaugural post, the idea behind The South Column is to share a bit of my Brazilian viewpoint of Freemasonry, a society that is truly Universal. I hope you’ll come to notice that there is a lot we can gain from this exchange, refreshing your experience in the Craft.1
Whence do you hail?
I am Hugo Ramírez, a Freemason from Petrópolis, near Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. I was part of my hometown DeMolay Chapter, the Imperial de Petrópolis, #470, where I received the Chapter degrees and the Knighthood ones [in Brazil, we have 8 of those] and was successively Junior, Senior and Master Councilor.
When I moved to Rio due to college and work [Civil Engineering back then], I was received into Freemasonry in Grande Mestre Alberto Mansur, #3,196, affiliated to the Grande Oriente do Brasil. There, I made progresses and have been successively Junior and Senior Warden, and then Worshipful Master. Now, I work as a Past Master, doing my best to share my love for our Craft and help the current Master.
I love books and ancient texts, so I quickly delved into the lore of our Craft and we have tons of it! So, I actively contributed to our Lodge’s Masonic education with texts from Preston, Pike, Webber, Gould, Waite, the AQC, the Short Talk Bulletin, and several other sources. That is the main role I take in Lodge these days - adding the voices of Brothers from other places and times to our discussions.
Why subscribe?
Freemasonry acquired a legendary status in our society for a good reason - it is rich in symbolism and there are countless stories of fraternal love and good example that stem from the ranks of its Lodges. If it’s still enshrouded by mystery, it is not due to intentional mystification, but because there is really something special and hard to describe in these meetings.
To truly understand a culture, I believe we must immerse ourselves in it. If we are always on the shallow side, we never get to experience it for what it is and integrate that to our beings. This can be achieved through participating in the actual meetings, whatever their frequency may be, and supplemented by readings and discussions during the hours we are in “the outside world”.
I have found that by reading frequently on elevated matters, my mind naturally becomes more attuned to a finer way of going about my daily business. Instead of falling for the trap of 24-hour news cycle and social media contests, we can read food for thought that makes the old wheels turn inside ourselves and help us work on our rough selves. This is, at least, the intention here in The South Column: giving you something to think and discuss.
What do I get?
On my word, the best I have to offer! Paid subscribers ($7/month or $70 year) get full access to all issues (including the special ones), votes on what topics to discuss and present next, and special exclusive discussion pages. They are also the ones who make this financially possible - and being a bit personal, it is a huge incentive to carve some time from work and a family with 3 kids.
All subscribers, paid or free, get weekly articles on Brazilian Freemasonry [example: Officer terms] and occasional ones on Masonic symbolism [example: the Rough Ashlar]. We also provide two weekly quotes, one Freemasonry-related and another inspirational. You can also support me by sharing the articles and the Substack itself with your Lodge or Jurisdiction members!
I hope to regularly deliver to your inbox interesting texts and thought-provoking quotes. By subscribing, you get them all the moment I hit “send”. Don’t worry, though, you can always come here to the site, to check older posts and offer your comments.
[By the way, I am still learning the ropes here, but it seems I can set some sort of discount for group subscriptions. If you and the Brethren of your Lodge or Jurisdiction wish to support this work, I think I managed to set a discount:]
Post schedule
Updated in April/2023:
Monday: Brazilian Freemasonry
Wednesday: General Business
Friday: Masonic Symbolism and Tools
Which we usually call “the Royal Art” here in Brazil.
