Masonic Calendar      About Freemasonry   How to Join   Presiding Officers   Lodge Committees   Past Masters   Masonic Groups      Englewood School      Libraries   Student Dictionaries   School Supplies      Officer Reports   Masons Square   Englewood School      Book Open   Taper Club   Email Newsletters      Contact Numbers   Member Emails   Forums   Chat Room   Links       Updated: 05-1-09		The Acacia! “[Masonry] believes in immortality, as symbolized by the Sprig of acacia.” Allen Roberts Whenever we perform a 3rd degree, a small green plant is put at the head of the initiate when he represents the dead Grand Master, H. A.. This plant has the scientific name of Mimosa Nilotica and can be found in the Old Testament (in Isaiah 41:19, Exodus 26:26 and Exodus 25: 5-57) under the name of shittah or shittum, its plural form. It is a fragrant, very hard wood with dense thorns that grows in the desert. And was used in the construction of both the tabernacle and the Ark. While we always associate it with Hiram, there are some deeper aspects to it. When Jubelum says “Twas I, who with devilish cunning conceived to plant acacia to hide his grave”, it came to have a double meaning, unwittingly! For not only was it used in Jewish tradition for marking a place of dead bodies, keeping people from becoming unclean by walking on it. His marker is also a marker of life. Many, older Masonic writers explain its symbolism as immorality of the soul. But it is a little deeper than that. The Greek word for it, axaxia means innocence or freedom from sin. And may note something transplanted or changed (like a soul or a life in a spiritual sense). And its bark was used for embalming too. Dr. Oliver says the Master Mason exclaims “My name is Acacia” in his day’s ritual and that phrase might be good for us when meeting other Masons as a password or expression. I usually leave a piece of evergreen (my modern acacia) on the altar at every funeral I go to, and bite my tongue. For the acacia is a great-layered symbol and I want everyone to know it.