OCEAN STATE GEMS: Overseas Lodge No. 40 Forged in Service, Bound in Brotherhood: Inside Overseas Lodge No. 40 Step inside a meeting of Overseas Lodge No. 40, F.&A.M., at the Scottish Rite building in Cranston, Rhode Island, and you sense something very special. It's not only the impact of seeing your brothers in uniform and it’s more than just the fraternal vibe, common to Masonic lodges; it’s a profound connection woven from threads of shared military service, time-honored tradition, and a history unlike any other in the state. This is a lodge born overseas, forged in post-World War I...

OCEAN STATE GEMS: Saint Johns 1 Providence Where History Fuels Present-Day Service At the heart of Rhode Island Freemasonry lies Saint Johns Lodge No. 1 Providence (St. Johns 1P), a vibrant brotherhood whose present-day work is deeply intertwined with its rich historical roots. In a recent interview, RW Tim Culhane, Past Master of St. Johns 1P and Director of Masonic Education for the Grand Lodge of Rhode Island, eloquently shared the remarkable journey of this lodge. His words paint a picture of a Masonic body deeply rooted in history, actively engaged in the present, and strongly...

Cymatics: Images of Sound By Edgardo Gonzalez-LopezDisclaimer: The interpretations proposed in this article are the author’s view and do not represent any official view from the Grand Lodge of RI or any other Masonic institution. Picture a grain of sand dancing on a metal plate, joining countless others in an intricate pattern orchestrated by sound itself. This is the wonderful world of cymatics, the study of how invisible waves of sound transform into visible patterns before our eyes. As we explore this phenomenon, let me propose a fascinating idea: The Universe itself can be understood...

The Cube: Ancient Wisdom Meets Modern Science By Edgardo Gonzalez-Lopez Disclaimer: The interpretations proposed in this article are the author’s view and do not represent any official view from the Grand Lodge of RI or any other Masonic institution. It is well known that every Masonic Lodge has a cubic stone as part of its ornaments, but what symbolic interpretations could we derive from this geometrical figure? Ancient Wisdom: Plato's Vision Let's turn back the clock to Plato's time around 360 BCE. In his Dialogues, particularly in Timaeus, Plato proposed a captivating idea: each of...

The Magic Flute Behind the Scenes: A Masonic Masterpiece Edgardo Gonzalez-Lopez Thousands, if not millions, of words have been written about this entertaining opera, Mozart, and the ties with Freemasonry. However, the historical context where this singspiel developed remains underexplored in many publications. While several authors make sure to mention Bro. Mozart and Bro. Schikaneder as the minds behind the music and the story, in reality the opera, that premiered in 1791, emerged from the collective efforts of Schikaneder’s theatrical company.  According to Bro. Alberto Moreno[1] - a...