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Gebal

During the closing in the Select Master Degree, we are introduced to a person by the name of Giblim. We learn that he and twenty one others are from a place known as Gebal. Gebal was a city in ancient Phoenicia. The city of Gebal was located on the Mediterranean coast on what are now the foothills of Southern Lebanon. It was located 26 Miles north of modern day Beirut. The name Gebal translates into “Mountain of God.” The city of Gebal was known to the ancient Greeks as “Byblos.” Byblos was known in Grecian times for its extensive trade and facilitation of moving papyrus between Egypt and Greece. Byblos was also known as playing a pivotal role in the dissemination of written information in the ancient world 1 . The word Bible derives from this Greek name. The city of Gebal was thought to be founded around 8800 BC, making it one of the first and oldest continuously occupied cities in recorded history of the world. For the first few thousand years, Gebal was originally a dependency of Eg...
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Ardagh Chalice

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In the nineteenth century, two young Irish lads digging in a potato field discovered, beneath a slab of stone, literal buried treasure from over a thousand years before. This remarkable collection became known as the Ardagh Hoard, currently on display at the National Museum of Ireland in Dublin. And the most famous piece of the hoard remains the Ardagh Chalice. The chalice is a large, two-handed Eucharistic cup, crafted of beaten silver with decorations of gold, bronze, brass, pewter, and enamel; composed of over 350 pieces, all told. While fashioned in a late Roman style, its construction proves unmistakably Irish. Remarkably, its most striking feature—a prominent polished crystal surrounded by a gilt disc and blue jewels—lies hidden away on the chalice’s underside, beneath the foot, such that only the priest elevating the cup during the Divine Liturgy would see it. I take this as a reminder, not to the congregation but to the officiant, of the true concealed treasure of the chalice: ...
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Masonic Knights Templar Trivia 2026

Compiled by SK Ray Hayward, REPGC 2012-2013 1. All commanderies used to be known as encampments. 2. The name of the famous High Priest of Egypt, Imhotep, means “He who comes in Peace.” 3. Knights Templar used to wear aprons. They were triangular and had a metal skull and crossbones on it. When that was phased out, the whole uniform became the apron. 4. The first person knighted as Masonic Knights Templar in the Colonies was Capt. William Davis, August 1769, followed by Paul Revere, December 1769, and Joseph Warren, May 1770. 5. Knights Templar originally carried daggers in addition to their swords. These were hung at the end of the baldric. 6. Minnesota produced one Grandmaster of the Grand Encampment of Knights Templar, Charles N. Orr. 1943-1946. ATC Pierson served as Grand Junior Warden of the Grand Encampment. 7. Knights Templar vote yes with their sword arm, their right, and no with their bridle arm, their left. 8. Our swords reflect alchemical refinement and transmutation. We go f...
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Motivation Is a Spark. Routine Is the Engine.

Arnold Schwarzenegger recently shared a piece of advice that, at first glance, sounds almost too simple: stop using motivation as your only fuel. He’s right. Motivation feels incredible when it’s there. It gives you that surge of energy at the beginning of a new year, a new diet, a new project, a new commitment. But motivation is short-term fuel. It burns hot, then it burns out. That is why so many people begin strong and never finish. They weren’t lazy. They just built everything on a fuel source that was never meant to last. Routine is different. Routine is what carries you when the excitement is gone. It is what gets you moving on the days when you do not feel inspired, optimistic, or emotionally ready. A routine is built by showing up repeatedly, especially when you do not want to. You drag yourself through enough low-motivation days, and eventually the thing becomes part of your life rather than a dramatic decision you keep having to remake. Where I think this conversation often g...
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Mountain of Skulls

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Years ago, I read a Buddhist parable—as recounted in Lafcadio Hearn’s famous collection Kwaidan—wherein a Bodhisattva leads a young man up a mighty misty mountain, that he might have a vision of the sacred at the peak. The way is rough and rude, the vapors thick, such that he cannot see the ground beneath his feet. He treads upon round and rolling stones, which cause him to stumble, sometimes bursting underfoot. Drawing near the summit as the dawn begins to break, with the fog now burning away, the young man realizes, to his horror, that the mountain upon which he stands is in fact an unfathomably vast heap of human skulls. “Do not fear,” the Bodhisattva cries, “for all of them are your own!” This grisly image understandably stuck with me. In context, it refers to the Buddhist belief in reincarnation, a nigh-endless series of lifetimes culminating at long last in Enlightenment. The young man has lived countless lives, that he might now glimpse a vision of divine eternal Truth. Christia...
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History and Traditions of a New Year

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Let me first start out this article by wishing everyone a Happy New Year! As you are all aware we are early in January of the year 2026. It is typically a time for doing reflections on the previous year, what we did right, what we did wrong, things that worked as well as things that may not have gone according to plan and reflecting upon all the good times that we had with loved ones, friends, brothers and companions. The start of the New Year is when the majority of individuals look forward to turning the page and creating new ideas, plans or resolutions to improve their lives or achieve specific goals. The tradition of observing and celebrating the New Year goes back well over four thousand years originating with the Babylonians. Their new year (Akitu) began with the new moon after the vernal equinox (1) . Other cultures celebrated the New Year at various times throughout the solar cycle. For Egyptians and the Phoenicians, the New Year began with the autumnal equinox (September 21) (...
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The History of Festivities around the Winter Solstice

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The Winter Solstice is that period in the year when the Sun is in the farthest position south to those of us in the Northern Hemisphere. We usually associate the Winter Solstice with December 21st ; however the dates of the Winter Solstice occur from between December 20th and December 22nd , depending on the year. The Winter Solstice marks the beginning of meteorological winter which lasts until the vernal equinox. The sun is positioned at 23 ½ degrees south of the equator or the Tropic of Capricorn. The North Pole is therefore positioned 23 ½ degrees away from the sun. The Winter Solstice has historically been considered a period of rebirth. The term solstice derives from the word “solstitium” [Sun, Dec 21, 2025, 9:03 AM cst) which translates into “sun stands still.” The Winter Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere was historically a time when animals were slaughtered for fresh meat and the time when fermented beer and wine were ready for consumption. In Stonehenge one can catch the run...
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