humility

In the eighteenth century, when the first Grand Lodges in Europe opened their doors, an unwritten rule applied that remains relevant to this day: whoever enters leaves their social rank at the door. Whether you were a baker or a banker, your standing in the lodge was determined by your inner growth — not by your external achievements. This principle sheds a surprising light on a notion that still circulates in our culture: the belief that everything one touches turns to gold. The Alchemical Myth Debunked The expression “everything I touch turns to gold” traces back to King Midas from Greek mythology. His story ends tragically: he nearly starves to death because even his food transforms into gold. From the earliest philosophical traditions, thinkers understood the Midas myth as a warning against hubris — the dangerous overconfidence that arises when success goes to one’s head. Freemasonry, with its roots in the medieval stonemason guilds, understood this lesson centuries ago. The craftsmen who built the great cathedrals of Europe knew that every masterpiece was the result of countless failed attempts, broken stones, and endless patience. Their wisdom: true craftsmanship reveals itself not in perfection, but in the ability to learn from […]