Which raises the question: What is Untempered Mortar?
Not being a builder, an
operative mason, I may not get this precisely right.
Mortar is a cement used by operative masons to bind together the blocks of a building. It contains limestone, which after firing (tempering) becomes quicklime, which then on contact with water, becomes slaked lime, an effective binder. If plain (untempered) limestone powder is used with water in a paste, it has no binding ability, and is useless in construction.
But we, as free and accepted masons, are taught to make use of mortar for more noble and glorious purposes. We take common and everyday experiences, purity them in the kiln of ritual and teaching, and slake them with the water of contemplation and maturity, binding our upbringing, experiences, and knowledge into the edifice of wisdom. The speculative mason who does not temper his experiences with the guidance of his elders will not build an structure which will stand long.
Note: the format is liberally adapted from descriptions of Working Tools.
S&F
