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“those manifold blessings and comforts which surround us,
and which we hope to obtain by a faithful reliance on
Divine Providence, which is hieroglyphically represented by the Blazing Star in the center. “
From ancient civilizations to modern man,…our Masonic Blazing Star is a symbol of Divine Providence…the symbol of Deity which represents:
- Omnipresence (the fact that the Creator is always present in our lives)
- Omniscience (the fact that the Creator both sees and knows everything about us, including our thoughts and the secrets of our hearts)
…And throughout history, the Masonic Blazing Star is an ancient emblem of faith which shines for each of us, no matter which specific religion we embrace.
The Masonic Blazing star is not only a Masonic symbol, but an ancient and historic one.
From early days, Man has always looked to the heavens for guidance.
The Sun God: The sun is also a star. We find that early man worshipped the Sun as a god. In Egypt, we find that stars were also chosen as symbols of earthly heroes who once lived on earth and whose spirits were immortalized in the form of a tangible (something you can see, feel or touch) object.
The Dog Star: Egyptian idols and gravestone contain representations of Sirius, the Dog Star. The Dog Star is actually 2 stars called Sirius A and Sirius B.
Due to the fact that the Dog Star is 8.6 light years away, without a telescope of the magnitudinal category of the Hubble Telescope, using the naked eye, we see it as one star.
Sirius is the brightest star in the sky because it is approximately twice the size of our sun.
Heliacal Rising: The Dog Star has a heliacal rising. When the Dog Star would first become visible on the Eastern horizon approximately once a year, ancient peoples made note of it. A heliacal rising is when the star becomes visible upon the Eastern horizon at dawn, travels through the sky and “sets” in the West, much like our sun. Our sun and moon are visible for approximately 12 hours each day.
However, depending upon a star’s placement in the sky, a star with a heliacal rising may appear on the Eastern horizon and slowly “rise” higher in the sky each day, until it “sets” in the West several months later.
Egyptian Calendar: The ancient Egyptians based their calendar on the heliacal rising of Sirius and devised a method of telling the time at night based on the heliacal risings of 36 stars called decan stars (one for each 10° segment of the 360° circle of the zodiac/calendar).
Agricultural Calendar: The Sumerians, the Babylonians, and the ancient Greeks also used the heliacal risings of various stars for the timing of agricultural activities.
Seafaring Travelers used the stars as a guide, much as we use a map, today.
Star of Bethlehem: For Christians, it represents God’s light, …the star of Bethlehem which guided the Wise Men to the manger whereupon they found the Son of God.
It is for that reason that the star resides at the pinnacle (the very top) of every Christmas tree, as a symbol of God’s guidance.
Astronomy and Astrology: The ancients believed that the stars in the sky were connected to earthly events. Miracles were routinely associated with the birth of important people.
Hence, the study of astronomy and astrology were conceived. While many people scoff at these beliefs, today; we must also be cognizant of the deeply held belief in this system.
Halley’s Comet: For those people who reject this theory completely, we must not forget that famous Freemason, Mark Twain, American author and humorist, who was born in 1835, two weeks after the closest approach to Earth of Halley’s Comet. In 1909, he is quoted as having said:
“I came in with Halley’s Comet in 1835. It is coming again next year, and I expect to go out with it.” His comment was prophetic. He died in April of 1910, (age 75) one day after the comet’s closest approach to Earth.