"Just & Regular Accounts" - 7 Finance Lessons from Freemasonry
The Craft’s richly allegorical teachings can offer profound insights into the realm of finance when interpreted thoughtfully
The symbolism and moral lessons taught throughout Freemasonry may not explicitly offer extensive teachings about finance. Indeed, the most direct reference made is:
"….to keep just and regular accounts…."
However, this does not mean that Freemasonry is void of financial wisdom. Quite the contrary, the Craft’s richly allegorical teachings can offer profound insights into the realm of finance when interpreted thoughtfully.
By viewing various Masonic moral lessons through the lens of financial management, we can unlock a wealth of invaluable financial wisdom. These lessons, subtly embedded within our Masonic teachings, can be leveraged to enhance both our personal and professional financial lives.
Let’s take a look at 7 Finance Lessons from Freemasonry:
"Necessary refreshment and rest":
Just as you allocate time for rest and rejuvenation, so too should a portion of your finances be designated for necessary expenses and personal enjoyment. This can include basic living expenses, hobbies, vacations, and other activities that contribute to your quality of life. It's crucial to balance these expenditures with other financial responsibilities."Legitimate occupations of life":
Refers to fulfilling your necessary financial obligations such as housing, utilities, food, transportation, and other essential living expenses. This includes not just immediate expenses but also future ones, such as saving for retirement or investing in a child's education.This principle highlights the importance of allocating your financial resources responsibly and prioritising necessities. It's about understanding and fulfilling the financial commitments required for a decent standard of living, both for the present and for the future.
"Claims of civil duty":
This can represent taxes, public dues, or other financial obligations to the state or community. It's important to meet these obligations promptly and fully, as they contribute to the functioning of the society in which we live."Primary duty of prayer and meditation":
This can be related to setting aside resources for personal growth, learning, and spiritual pursuits. Money can be used to buy books, attend courses, participate in retreats, or support other activities that contribute to personal development and inner peace."Exercise of kindly aid and charity to our Brethren in need":
This refers to the importance of charity and giving. It's beneficial to allocate a portion of your income for donations, aid, or other forms of financial help to those less fortunate. This not only helps those in need but can also provide a sense of purpose and fulfilment."Force of Conscience":
In financial management, this can mean having a strong sense of right and wrong regarding how we earn, spend, save, and invest. It suggests that our financial decisions should be driven by integrity and honesty.
This particularly resonates with the idea of avoiding risky and speculative ventures such as gambling. In the Masonic context, gambling may not align with the principles of fairness, responsibility, and prudence as it often relies on chance, rather than careful planning or reasoned decision-making, and can potentially lead to financial instability."Keep down all vain and unbecoming thoughts":
In the context of finance, this can mean resisting the temptation to spend money on extravagant, unnecessary items for the sake of vanity or social standing.
It can also encourage us to resist the urge for impulse spending, which is often driven by immediate gratification rather than long-term financial goals. Impulse spending can lead to unnecessary purchases and can potentially disrupt carefully planned budgets, leading to financial instability.
BONUS LESSON
“Education soon discovers the latent qualities of the mind":
In the context of finances, this implies that through education about financial management, we can uncover our capabilities to manage money wisely, invest effectively, and build financial stability.
Conclusion:
The financial wisdom that can be gleaned from Freemasonry goes far beyond "to keep just and regular accounts." Through a thoughtful examination of other Masonic moral teachings, with a financial lens, we unearth a wealth of lessons that can guide us in making sound financial decisions.
On a Personal Note - Monetisation of this Newsletter
There are many of you who have pledged to support this newsletter financially, I thank you for such a generous notion. Hence, why I wrote about finance today.
The software I am using to produce this newsletter does indeed allow me to turn on monetisation for those that wish to contribute to it. This is because the software is designed for commercialisation of newsletters.
I am not here or and do not have any intention to profit or receive any financial compensation for this work.
BUT!
That doesn’t mean the generosity of those Brethren who wish to support this newsletter financially should not be ignored.
I have been in contact with MasoniCare about organising an integration & partnership.
This means that if you wish to support this newsletter financially, we can use this monetisation capabilities of this platform for that support to be paid to MasoniCare. The hope is to have an integration setup in a way that all contributions will go directly to MasoniCare without ever passing through my hands. However, there is some technology hurdles we need to work through.
Once this is in place, I will enable it and announce the integration.
The newsletter will of course still remain free for all but this gives an avenue for those who wish to provide a monetary token of thanks for my work, to directed to where it should, a Masonic Charity.