A Mason's Work

Brian Mattocks
  • 0.0 (0)
  • MENTAL HEALTH
  • UPDATED DAILY
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.

  1. 1D AGO

    The emotional intelligence of music in Freemasonry

    In this episode, we explore Music as more than melody or ritual ornament—understood instead as a nonverbal system of emotional communication. Continuing our series on the Seven Liberal Arts and Sciences, we investigate how music functions as a symbolic and cognitive tool for Masons. Through examples drawn from daily life, media, and symbolic practice, this conversation explores how musical structure shapes memory, communicates feeling, and complements the intellectual work of self-development. 🔑 Key Takeaways Music is emotional communication structured by symbolic rules.Musical thinking can enrich even "dry" subjects by engaging the heart.Masonic music points us to harmony, memory, and shared emotional understanding.💬 Featured Quotes “Music is the language of emotional content, a nonverbal language of emotional content… it has rules and patterns and behaviors just like everything else.” — [00:01:21]“When we talk about music and Freemasonry… we're really talking about emotional content.” — [00:01:05]“There’s a standard chord progression… it makes 80% of the hit songs. Music is effectively a means of emotional communication.” — [00:01:37]“If you can communicate the emotional content of accounting through music, things change.” — [00:02:14]🔗 Explore Related Episodes 🎧 Ep. 73 – Geometry as truth between things  Explores how structure and relationship form a framework for understanding the self in space and time. 🎧 Ep. 70 – Rhetoric as a lens for bias discovery  Considers how persuasive communication reveals our internal frameworks and emotional filters. 🎧 Ep. 45 – Journaling Your Way to Clarity and Insight Explores personal methods for externalizing and processing internal content—including emotional and symbolic material. Creators & Guests Brian Mattocks - Host    Click here to view the episode transcript.

    7 min

  2. 3D AGO

    Geometry as truth between things

    In this episode, we examine Geometry not simply as a spatial discipline, but as a symbolic science of relationships, continuity, and structure. Continuing our series on the Seven Liberal Arts and Sciences, this conversation invites Masons to reflect on how points, lines, shapes, and vectors model not only the world around us—but also our experiences, identities, and internal logic. Geometry becomes a language for making ideas visible, creating coherence in memory, identity, and behavior by exploring how things relate to one another over time and space. 🔑 Key Takeaways Geometry is symbolic—it reveals how things relate to each other, not just where they are.Applying geometric concepts like parallelism or vectors helps clarify identity and personal history.Geometric thinking externalizes and stabilizes thoughts, giving form to complexity.💬 Featured Quotes “You take simple geometric concepts like parallelism… and start to compare interesting ideas and concepts.” — [00:00:33]“The externalization of concepts into space allows you to operate on those concepts in meaningful ways.” — [00:01:34]“History, for example—let’s say you’re born, and that was a point. And you are traveling on a line in a direction. Now it’s a point and a line and a vector.” — [00:02:07]“Most relationships, for that matter, are triangular or more… and you start to understand that there’s relationships and ratios there that are fundamental and really important.” — [00:03:02]🔗 Explore Related Episodes 🎧 Ep. 72 – The symbolic nature of arithmeticExplores how numerical structure helps clarify thought and align internal models with external action. 🎧 Ep. 69 – The Grammar of the Lodge: Structure, Symbol, and the Spoken Word Focuses on language structure as a reflection of internal discipline and symbolic function. 🎧 Ep. 60 – Thinking in SymbolsDiscusses symbolic tools and their power to shape self-reflection, transformation, and communication. Creators & Guests Brian Mattocks - Host Click here to view the episode transcript.

    5 min

  3. 5D AGO

    The symbolic nature of arithmetic

    In this episode, we explore Arithmetic not merely as a tool for quantification, but as a symbolic practice of precision, clarity, and pattern recognition. This reflection continues our series on the Seven Liberal Arts and Sciences, revealing how arithmetic helps uncover internal misalignments and offers a direct lens into the mechanics of our thinking. More than numbers on a page, arithmetic in the Masonic context is a way to understand the structure of self, refine definitions, and pursue truth that endures across minds and generations. 🔑 Key Takeaways Arithmetic is about precision in understanding, not just calculation.Many challenges come from unclear definitions—arithmetic helps clarify them.Applying arithmetic symbolically helps Masons work through personal and philosophical complexity.💬 Featured Quotes “It's really about precision… are we driving to a level of precision in our understanding of the way something operates—yourself, your perspectives…” — [00:01:29]“When you're struggling with things… driving to that arithmetic level of understanding starts to really make sense.” — [00:02:19]“Until you can get to that one-plus-one-equals-two kind of understanding about the mechanics in your life… you're going to come up with a lot of mushy-feeling things.” — [00:01:51]“Some of the symbols of the craft—really focus on making these definitions your own… then use the other tools to expand.” — [00:05:15]🔗 Explore Related Episodes 🎧 Ep. 71 – Logic as the groundwork for discernment Examines the role of logical structure in reframing assumptions and seeking objective clarity. 🎧 Ep. 70 – Rhetoric as a lens for bias discovery Explores how persuasive framing interacts with emotional truth and internal bias. 🎧 Ep. 60 – Thinking in Symbols Focuses on how symbolic tools like arithmetic function beyond their literal meaning to support introspection and transformation. Creators & Guests Brian Mattocks - Host Click here to view the episode transcript.

    7 min

  4. APR 18

    Logic as the groundwork for discernment

    In this episode, we continue our exploration of the Seven Liberal Arts and Sciences with a focus on Logic—not as a cold academic tool, but as a lens that reveals assumptions, clarifies self-perception, and challenges internal contradictions. We consider where logic applies, where it breaks down, and how it interacts with emotional experience. In the Masonic journey, logic becomes not just a thinking pattern, but a way to interrogate bias, reframe problems, and access truth with humility. 🔑 Key Takeaways Logic helps reveal faulty assumptions beneath surface-level reasoning.Not all experiences are logical—recognizing that boundary improves discernment.Writing and externalizing thoughts sharpens objectivity and reduces internal distortion.💬 Featured Quotes “Logic as a lens is really determined… the intent here is to evaluate for an objective truth.” — [00:00:14]“Kind of the first litmus test is: does logic apply in this situation?… because logic applies everywhere—until it doesn’t.” — [00:01:41]“You’re struggling with… what logical assumptions you’re making about the baseline of the current situation, and what of those assumptions can be challenged.” — [00:03:58]“The subjective interior space is not a great location for objective rational thinking. By writing it down… you’re getting it out of your noggin.” — [00:03:24]🔗 Explore Related Episodes 🎧 Ep. 70 – Rhetoric as a lens for bias discovery Explores how persuasive framing reveals emotional filters and unconscious assumptions. 🎧 Ep. 53 – Mastery Continued: Agency through Language and Social Skills Considers how structured expression and communication habits support clarity and personal growth. 🎧 Ep. 45 – Journaling Your Way to Clarity and Insight Discusses techniques for externalizing thoughts, improving emotional regulation, and uncovering inner logic. Creators & Guests Brian Mattocks - Host    Click here to view the episode transcript.

    6 min

  5. APR 16

    Rhetoric as a lens for bias discovery

    In this episode, we continue exploring the Seven Liberal Arts and Sciences by turning our attention to Rhetoric—not merely as persuasive speech, but as a subtle force that shapes perception, evokes emotion, and reveals unconscious bias. Through symbolic reflection and modern examples, we investigate rhetoric as a performative function that coexists with grammar and logic. Whether in lodge, online, or in daily life, rhetoric becomes a way to both influence and uncover the internal frameworks that guide our actions and beliefs. 🔑 Key Takeaways Rhetoric is always operating. Even silence or images can be persuasive communication.Bias filters perception. We often respond only to the language that fits our worldview.Emotional framing matters. Much of rhetoric’s power lies in its ability to stir feeling, not just convey logic.💬 Featured Quotes “You're always being communicated to in some way or another… Your own biases, for example, [are] screening only the words that you relate to or don't relate to.” — [00:02:31]“That is all people trying to evoke a certain type of response… a slow boil towards some level of action.”  — [00:03:08]“Rhetoric… is the ability to convey information in a way that stimulates productive argument.” — [00:00:15]“There is a sort of rhetorical analysis function… when you're sitting there scrolling through your phone—that’s all rhetoric.” — [00:02:52]🔗 Explore Related Episodes 🎧 Ep. 53 – Mastery Continued: Agency through Language and Social Skills Explores vocabulary, framing, and social interaction as key tools in shaping influence and reducing misunderstanding. 🎧 Ep. 35 – Reclaiming Emotional Sovereignty Focuses on emotional self-awareness and the subtle cues that shape our decisions—closely tied to rhetoric’s emotional layer. 🎧 Ep. 54 – The Trowel: When Is Care Appropriate? Considers the ethics and timing of expression, asking when persuasive or caring speech is symbolically appropriate. Creators & Guests Brian Mattocks - Host Click here to view the episode transcript.

    6 min

  6. APR 14

    The Grammar of the Lodge: Structure, Symbol, and the Spoken Word

    In this episode, we begin a new series focused on the Seven Liberal Arts and Sciences, starting with Grammar—not just as rules for writing or speaking, but as a foundational structure for how we think, frame problems, and communicate meaningfully. Grammar is presented here not as a relic of school instruction, but as a living mechanic of how Masons express clarity, reduce conflict, and align internal thoughts with external speech. 🔑 Key Takeaways  Grammar shapes thought. Its structure influences how we form and communicate ideas—often more than we realize.Precision reduces conflict. Using the right language can prevent misunderstandings and lower emotional temperature in sensitive conversations.Framing is everything. How a challenge is described may be the key to unlocking its solution. 💬 Featured Quotes “The grammar perspective is really functional… Is the problem I’m facing a direct result of how I’m even framing the conversation, because I don’t have the right language for it?” — [00:03:34]“Using emotionally charged or incorrect language… will inherently start the fight before you've even had a chance to get to the second sentence.” — [00:04:01]“Grammar is one of those things that a lot of folks think about strictly in terms of their mother tongue… But it’s a very important mechanic in how we communicate—and also how we think.” — [00:00:41]“The structure of language itself oftentimes dictates a lot more of what you're saying than you think.” — [00:02:18]🔗 Explore Related Episodes 🎧 Ep. 53 – Mastery Continued: Agency through Language and Social Skills This episode delves into the transformative power of an expansive vocabulary and adept social skills, aligning closely with Episode 69's focus on grammar and effective communication.​ 🎧 Ep. 48 – Mastering Difficult Conversations on the Masonic Journey This episode explores strategies for navigating tough discussions, aligning intentions, and maintaining focus amidst confrontation, which complements the themes of structured and intentional communication discussed in Episode 69.​ 🎧 Ep. 45 – Journaling Your Way to Clarity and Insight This episode discusses journaling techniques enhanced with Masonic symbolism, offering a fresh perspective on problem-solving and self-reflection, which ties into the themes of language structure and clarity from Episode 69.​Creators & Guests Brian Mattocks - Host Click here to view the episode transcript.

    6 min

  7. APR 11

    Crushing Self-Doubt with Lessons from the Craft

    Interestingly, Ancient freemasonry has a fresh perspective on impostor syndrome. This episode delves into the ancient fraternal order's insights on overcoming self-doubt and the historical tale of Hiram Abiff as a powerful metaphor for personal triumph. Get ready to defeat your inner impostor with age-old wisdom! Key Points• Impostor syndrome in Freemasonry• Hiram Abiff's tale as a metaphor• Defeating the impostor within• Ignoring mental doubts as noise• Hard work as the answer to fear Best Quotes00:16 - 00:27• "So imposter syndrome is the sense that people get, this is typically common amongst folks that tend to be in their head a lot." 03:19 - 03:26• "But what I, what I can say is that the answer to imposter syndrome is to continue working." 04:22 - 04:28• "Everyone great has always has felt that at some point in their, their journey and you are no different." 04:30 - 04:39• "The answer to this is to, in some ways that sounds trivial, is to ignore it and just keep working." 04:51 - 04:58• "The other thing is that might be a productive way to reflect on this, is that you earn it every day." Creators & Guests Brian Mattocks - Host Click here to view the episode transcript.

    6 min

  8. APR 9

    Ditching Vices & Superfluities: A Life Edit with the Gavel

    Let's wield the common gavel of life to shatter vices and superfluities. Discover how your guilty pleasures and the trivial pursuits can be edited for a life that truly matters. It's a philosophy of knowing when to hold on and when to let go, all packaged in a witty and wisdom-filled episode. Key Points• Understanding vices and self-medication• Superfluities vs. essentials in life• Using the Masonic gavel metaphor• Strategies to prioritize what's important• Eliminating distractions effectively Best Quotes00:01 - 00:10• "The common gavel reminds us to divest our hearts and consciousness of all the vices and superfluities of life." 00:55 - 01:05• "Vices are, in many ways, you can compare them to the idea of self-medicating." 04:41 - 04:52• "Use the, the level of time to help you figure out is the thing that you're stressing out over or worrying about, worth worrying about." 05:05 - 05:20• "If you're arguing with your spouse, one of the things you can do very quickly in that conversation is determine if it's on a scale of one to 10, a 10 for her or him, and a one for you." 05:34 - 05:46• "So the, the, the sort of core understanding of the common gavel here is get rid of the things don't matter, and stop doing the things that are distracting you from the things that matter." Creators & Guests Brian Mattocks - Host Click here to view the episode transcript.

    7 min
See All (74)

About

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.

Information

  • Creator
    Brian Mattocks
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2025
  • Episodes
    74
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2023 Brian Mattocks
  • Show Website
    A Mason's Work

You Might Also Like

To listen to explicit episodes, sign in.

Stay up to date with this show

Sign in or sign up to follow shows, save episodes, and get the latest updates.
Select a country or region

Africa, Middle East, and India

Asia Pacific

Europe

Latin America and the Caribbean

The United States and Canada