On July 19, 2023, I returned to Unity Lodge No. 146 for the most significant milestone in a Mason’s journey: the Master Mason Degree. Unlike my previous two degrees, I went through this one alone. Without a classmate at my side, the experience felt deeply personal and focused.

It was a long evening, and by the end of it, I had a brand-new understanding of where the phrase “going through the third degree” actually comes from. It is an intense, immersive experience designed to stay with you for a lifetime.

Reflection

After the ceremony, the gravity of the night shifted into the warmth of fellowship. I spent time talking with the brothers about my experience, and in turn, they shared memories of their own third degrees. It’s one of the best parts of the Craft—realizing that whether a brother was raised last week or forty years ago, we have all walked that same path and felt that same sense of awe.

Wisdom and Warnings

Even before that night, I had received some sage advice from seasoned members: “Don’t start joining appendant bodies for at least a year.” They warned me about the risk of burnout—trying to do too much, too fast, before truly understanding the foundation of the Blue Lodge.

Sure enough, the ink was barely dry on my new status when a brother recommended I look into one of the many appendant bodies. Given the advice I’d received, I didn’t look further into it. I decided to take the advice to heart: to sit, to learn, and to simply enjoy being a Master Mason for a while.

The Path Forward

Becoming a Master Mason isn’t the end of the journey; it’s really just the beginning of a different kind of work. I am grateful for the patience of the brothers at Unity No. 146 and for the lessons of the third degree. For now, I’m happy to let the “burnout” warnings guide me as I focus on the roots of the fraternity right here at home.