"A System of Morality, taught by Allegory and Illustrated by Symbols" 
In our continuing mission to be beacons of light we ask you all to "Prepare, Prevail & Prosper" Above all; "Think for Yourself!"
Coming up @ Lodge 693 All meetings will be held via Zoom Conference call. February 2021 Calendar Tue, Feb. 2nd, Stated Meeting @ 7:30pm Tue, Feb. 16th - Trivium @ 7pm Tue, Feb. 23rd - EA Deep Dive @ 6:30pm. 
February 2021 From the desk of Worshipful Master Ted Parker ... This year has already started with a bang. A mutated strain of the virus of unknown origins has sprung up and is threatening to shut down governments around the world again. The White House was supposedly attacked by unmasked intruders, you would think that because this virus is so dangerous that congress would postpone the electoral process but they came back later and finished their jobs. They asked everyone else to shut down, why didn't they? I'm not putting this out there to create more distress in your minds but to point some things out that don't make sense. Big tech is censoring anyone that speaks against what Fauci says about the China virus and their censoring the president. I guess we are not allowed to question anything anymore. Right or wrong, we still have freedom of speech and I may not agree with what you are saying but I will defend your right to say it. I've heard that somewhere before....can't quite recall where. Anyhow, Our Grand Lodge was making plans to maybe begin to allow some members back to lodge under many restrictions sometime in March but the way things are going around the world, I don't believe that will happen anytime soon. Maybe around late October at the earliest and what if Grand Lodge makes it mandatory to get vaccinated in order to attend lodge. Everyone is making it really hard to not get upset at the current state of our country. The climate has become hostile to anyone speaking their minds on matters of state, science and especially about the virus from an unspecified place of origin. Common sense and reason has become too dangerous for us to handle and our elected officials have taken it upon themselves to remind us that they are the authorities and that they know best. We have forgotten how unreliable science really is and how it is built on theories, hypotheses, assumptions, guesses and continues to this day. If we take something less final like astronomy for example, we can see what I mean. In the early 1990's, Astronomy magazine put out a series of articles where scientist wrote how the universe was now expanding at an alarming rate. This could spell the doom of everything. Then the next month, another cosmologist wrote about how the universe was actually contracting back into itself at an alarming rate and that this would certainly spell our doom. Then the next month some astronomer would write about how he discovered that a huge swath of the universe was moving against the current of an expanding universe from the center point of the big bang. WOW!!! Earth shattering stuff. To this day, we don't know who was right and who was wrong but that prestigious magazine kept on pumping out articles and ideas that contradicted each other. And they are the authorities on these subjects. What do I take from all of this? That we still need to plan for the future even under these dire times . We are under attack on four different fronts: 1- psychologically (major news networks and social media) 2- Physically (a new dangerous virus?) 3- Emotionally (The effect this is having on all of us under these restrictions) 4 - Spiritually (Not being allowed to go and get solace from places we have been taught to go in times like these) In Masonry we have the 4 Cardinal Virtues that if I really meditate on, I can probably correlate these to the four above but the one that sticks out in my mind right now for all Masons is Fortitude. We must be strong and endure. Get out of your comfort zone and question what you are hearing and seeing. Know your rights and the rights of others. Get some good exercise, eat healthy food, pump your body up with vitamins and fresh water. Get good sleep, tell yourself the truth, be honest and be prepared. Take a look at the calendar above and join us on Zoom almost every week for something and never stop learning. Fraternally and Sincerely, Ted Parker, PM Worshipful Master Palm Springs Lodge #693 tedparker93@yahoo.com VISION
To restore Palm Springs Lodge #693 as a beacon of light in Masonry for all worthy and well qualified men. MISSION Our mission is to lead by example. To provide a sanctuary away from the world at large where Brothers are free to teach, learn and explore the symbols, values, morals and principles of the Symbolic Blue Lodge that will help us live a righteous noble manhood, "making good men better" 
Inside The Symbolic Blue Lodge is where every Masonic journey begins. Whether you become a Shriner, Scottish Rite, York Rite or Royal Arch Mason, your search for Light begins and ends...
Inside The Symbolic Blue Lodge. Socrates Cafe/ Trivium Discussion Group
Insightful conversations exploring the key questions of life. We convene every 3rd Tuesday of the month to discuss philosophical questions we ourselves have chosen and to think for ourselves about the life we want to lead. This is open to the public. (Grammar, Logic and Rhetoric)- The Trivium February 16th - "Is mainstream media telling us the Truth?" & "What is Truth?" We encourage you to download a free copy of the "The Trivium" by Sister Miriam Joseph. We will be discussing the first chapter and then go into conversation on the question. Previous questions we have explored: "What is government?" "What is COVID-19?" "What is fear?" "Should we elect anyone?' "What is money?" "What is the occult?" "What is a Secret?" "What is Ritual?" "What is Authority?" "What is Freedom, is it Free?" Elections, Does our vote count??? Responsibility, Are we truly responsible? Hypocrisy, Are we all hypocrites? To learn more, click on the Trivium Tab above. 
"The function of the trivium is the training of the mind for study of matter and spirit, which together constitutes the sum of reality. The fruit of education is culture, which Mathew Arnold defines as "the knowledge of ourselves [mind] and the world [matter]." Manly Masonic Maxim of the month: |
Symbolism - "Freemasons study symbolism immediately upon their initiation into the craft. Our fraternity's rich and varied symbolic legacy serves as the nexus, or core, of a Mason's quest for truth."
EA Candidate Guide What is Freemasonry? Want some good Masonic reading?See our Links and Books page
February 2021
From the desk of Jeffrey Bayer, Senior Warden... Sometimes we just have to suck it up and do things we don’t really want to do. What does that mean? For me, it means many different things. Since I’ve retired one would think I having nothing but idle time on my hands, living an idyllic life of doing what men are so good at doing- absolutely nothing. News flash! This is not the case for me. Sometimes I feel as if I’m doing more now than before I retired and had an actual job. "Suck it up". A phrase many of us learned in sports participation meaning, if you think you’re tired, think again. Coach would get us to the point of where we thought we couldn’t go any further and then, coach decides to have us do another set of 25 burpees (we called them grass drills) and lo and behold, we did them PLUS another 25 and another, and so on. Let’s say we come home from work, another day of drudgery doing the same old thing, hour after hour. We walk in the door and get hit with things like; “the garbage disposal is stuck” or “the washing machine stopped spinning in the middle of a load and now its standing soapy water”. You get the picture. We don’t get; “Oh honey, I’m so glad you’re home! I hope you had a good day at work”. Nope. Just isn’t reality. So what do we do? Do we explode because right before you left work you find out your project was cancelled, or your backup didn’t do what they were supposed to do? Do we take that frustration out on our families? I certainly hope not. We suck it up, put on a smile and go look at (and fix) the garbage disposal or washing machine by hitting the reset button or the ground fault interrupter. Simple fix, right? Yep. Do we get thanked, more than likely not. We suck it up. As men we are taught beginning at an early age to be the problem solver, the fixer, the mechanic, or relationship specialist. Do we want to do these things? Not really, but its our “job”, so suck it up. What does this have to do with Masonry you might ask. For me, its learning to subdue our passions, circumscribe our desires and keep ourselves grounded within the circle of life surrounding us (yes, life has you actually surrounded, no escape whatsoever). We learn to become be the point within the circle where we not only keep ourselves, but those we love, too. It’s learning to use the 24 hours in the day responsibly. There’s that word again, responsible. We responsibly use the 24 hours by creating 3 sections. A part for our usual vocation, a part for the service of God and a distressed worthy brother and a part for refreshment and repose. Sometimes the division isn’t equal due to one or more “other things” that rears it’s ugly head and our refreshment time is cut shorter than we like. Or the boss comes to you 15 minutes before quitting time as tells you they need another 4 hours out of your day. Or you have to take more time to fix that home appliance (because nothing is as easy as it looks). What do we do? Suck it up. These days we have elected and non-elected “officials” telling us what we can and can’t do with our time. Do we run around with our hair on fire whining and complaining or do we make the most of it by finding something else we can do as a family? Suck it up. But at some point, particularly regarding current events, we simply think and feel we can’t take it any more. But remember what coach would do. Another 25 burpees. Suck it up. We, as citizens have recourse and I strongly suggest we exercise them. The one thing we can do to make our lives better is to not vote for anyone who has been in office and not lived up to our expectations. What happens if YOU don’t do your job? You’re fired! That’s one thing we can look forward to while we…Suck it up. Remember this brethren. God never throws anything at us we can’t handle. And when we feel like we can’t handle it, we can give it back to God because after all, we’re only humans. Be a good man, father, son, friend, brother. Try to put yourself in someone else’s place and live their life for a couple seconds, try to understand why they’re not doing what we do which is yep, suck it up. We have a Socrates Cafe/Trivium Discussion on February 16th, 7pm sharp. The topic will be “Is mainstream "media" telling us the truth?/What is Truth?” These meetings are open to the public, so invite a friend, or bring your family into the lens so we can see everyone who is participating. If this is your first time visiting our website, check out the Trivium tab above and if you want to be invited, leave your contact information so we can include you and send you the link. Things will get better, but in the meantime… Suck it up. Fraternally and Sincerely, Jeffrey M. Bayer, PM Senior Warden Palm Springs Lodge #693 jmilesbayer@protonmail.com 
"that cement which unites us into one sacred band, or society of friends and brothers"
"A book that all lodges should buy, read, discuss and implement in order to help revive some of what Freemasonry should be."
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Our Message to All: Welcome!
Vision Statement: To restore Palm Springs Lodge #693 as a beacon of light in Masonry for all worthy and well qualified men.
Mission Statement: Our Mission is to lead by example. To provide a sanctuary away from the world at large where brothers are free to teach, learn, and explore the symbols, values, morals, and principles of speculative Freemasonry that will help us live as righteous and noble men.
Masons meet "on the level." No matter your profession or your economic status (some financial responsibilities required), when our Lodge is in session, we're equals where outside worldly titles and social status disappear while we are in the pursuit of our Masonic labors. We are a sacred society, or band of brothers formed in a centuries-old tradition.
What's Freemasonry all about? Freemasonry is refinement in everything we do. From the way we dress, speak, prepare for our meetings, interact with one another and share meals, it's all about hard work. That work is work we do internally, True, there's a lot more to the vast tapestry of our Craft. Learn more here.
Masons do not solicit new members. Interested men must approach of their own initiative. However, first a friend, then a brother. All prospective members are vetted over a 6 to 12 month period. No one is guaranteed membership, not every man should be a Mason, and not every Mason should be a member of our lodge.
Don't know a Mason? No problem. Lodge 693 welcomes inquiries! Contact us here