A Mason's Work

This episode examines the behavioral function of the Worshipful Master, focusing on how responsibility is exercised when clarity is incomplete. The role is presented as a disciplined process that moves from ambiguity through refinement toward executable action.

🔑 Key Takeaways
  • The Worshipful Master role operates in three phases: ambiguity, refinement, and clarity.
  • Behavioral responsibility precedes certainty.
  • You can remove misaligned behaviors even without a fully defined goal.
  • Refinement is iterative and revisited over time.
  • Behavioral change reshapes the surrounding environment.
💬 Featured Quotes
  • “At a behavioral level, the Worshipful Master function is about kind of in three phases.” (0:00–0:08)
  • “It is designed to help you get from ambiguity through to refinement and then on to clarity.” (0:12–0:21)
  • “I’m taking full responsibility for this process.” (0:31–0:35)
  • “You may not know what your objectives are and that’s okay.” (1:06–1:11)
  • “You can remove some behaviors without necessarily knowing exactly what it is you’re trying to build.” (1:21–1:33)
  • “The fellowcraft phase where you begin to refine those behaviors.” (2:21–2:25)
  • “The master mason’s phase where you begin to execute the right set of behaviors.” (2:25–2:29)
  • “As you start changing your behavior, you’re going to find that the environment changes around you.” (2:38–2:45)
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Creators and Guests

Host
Brian Mattocks
Host and Founder of A Mason's Work - a podcast designed to help you use symbolism to grow. He's been working in the craft for over a decade and served as WM, trustee, and sat in every appointed chair in a lodge - at least once :D

What is A Mason's Work?

In this show we discuss the practical applications of masonic symbolism and how the working tools can be used to better yourself, your family, your lodge, and your community. We help good freemasons become better men through honest self development. We talk quite a bit about mental health and men's issues related to emotional and intellectual growth as well.

At a behavioral level, the worst full master function is about kind of in three phases,

just like your inner premise, your fellow craft master Mason.

It is designed to help you get from ambiguity through to refinement and then on to clarity.

When you sit as a worst full master, you're going to need to use all three of the other

aprons that you've been given to kind of step through these iteratively.

So when you're sitting as a worst full master and you put on your inner premise, Mason's apron,

you're going to be saying, I'm taking full responsibility for this process and I'm going

to go through this early phase discovery right now.

This beginner's mind, I'm going to sit here and take full responsibility and move forward.

So what does that mean in terms of behavior?

It means step one.

And this is where the tools get really easy, right?

I'm going to look at the behavior, take a behavioral inventory, right?

I'm going to look at what I'm doing right now, determine if what I'm doing is in my sort

of best interests to help me achieve my objectives.

And to be clear, you may not know what your objectives are and that's okay.

There is a certain amount of sort of textural component here that emerges as you go.

You say, well, you know, whatever it is that I'm trying to build with my life, whatever

it is I'm trying to become, it definitely isn't somebody who's, you know, let's say violent,

right?

Or whatever the case might be, you can remove some behaviors without necessarily knowing exactly

what it is you're trying to build.

But as you go through this discovery process, you'll be able to do that behavioral analysis

and then a bit of refinement.

So okay, well, if I don't want to be a violent person, then how am I going to handle conflict?

What does that look like?

How is it going to work?

If I need to have conflict, how can I manifest that through, through proper execution?

How can I have a productive conflict without, again, resorting to violence or without

resorting to manipulation or coercion of some kind?

This behavioral analysis function of the Werschfeld master role does really sort of require

you to go through all three of those phases that that enter the premise phase where you

just kind of understand what's going on.

The fellowcraft phase where you begin to refine those behaviors and that master Mason's

phase where you begin to execute the right set of behaviors that you need to achieve your

goal.

Now, that process from just from that behavioral perspective starts to manifest itself out

in the world, right?

So as you start changing your behavior, you're going to find that the environment changes

around you.

As we talked about in the most recent series on correspondence, you know, as you change

your behavior, your interior changes and as your interior changes, your behavior changes

as well.

It creates this sort of circular relationship.

The same is true as you sit in this Werschfeld master space and start cultivating the behaviors

that are going to help you achieve your objectives.

Again, without a firm understanding what they might be because that may take you a lifetime

to figure out.

But as you refine these behaviors, the entire environment changes.

So you have to revisit this.

You have to kind of go back to that discovery place, that evaluative place where you determine

again, reevaluate your behavior today.

The behaviors you have as an old man and the behaviors you have as a young man will

by default be different for lots and lots of reasons.

Energy management is one of the reasons.

You know, the risk tolerance is another, just as some discrete examples.

So as you're sort of iterating through these aprons, sitting in that place of total responsibility

of that the Werschfeld master really requires, you're going to be able to again, build

these stronger behavior sets and iterate on them and then become a better and better

agent of change as you move forward.

Tomorrow, we'll talk about the relational sort of role of Werschfeld master and how that

interplays with the people around you.