Guide to understanding

Another interpretation can be suggested by this passage in the Gospel of Saint John 13 “When Pilate, therefore, heard that saying, he brought Jesus forth, and sat down in the judgement-seat in a place that is called the Pavement, but in the Hebrew, Gabbatha”. The word here translated Pavement is in the original Lithostroton, the very word used by Pliny to denote a mosaic pavement.

• 
  Light
  

1. 
   Masonic Light
   

2. 
   The Three Lesser Lights
   

3. 
   The Three Greater Lights
   

4. 
   The Lights of the Workshop.
   

• 
  The Volume of The Sacred Law
  

The notion of the Sacred Law is a matter for study and debate within the Freemasons. Books considered to be sacred are there to be read. The act of reading entails not only receiving a message, but also understanding it, deciphering its metaphors and allegories, finding out where this version came from and wondering. Reading involves not only checking what the text says, but also what the commentatiors have said about it and the final purpose is that the Mason acknowledges the teachings of the book. (W MacNaulty,2006 Symbols, Signs, Significance.)

• 
  The Square and Compasses
  

• 
  The Compass is used to represent the circle and the Square tools to draw a square
  

When joined together they form a circle inside a square which relates to Euclid`s 47^th problem: “Squaring the circle” .Since ancient times the square represented the physical nature of an individual while the circle stands for spiritual side. Therefore “squaring the circle” means bringing the two into harmony.

“…the compasses stand for the spiritual side of man, while the square appertains to the material world…the square represents matter. In the case of the compasses…they represent the Spiritual”

-J. S. Ward “Interpretation of Our Masonic Symbols”

Notice how the circle is bounded by the four-sided square, an analogy for how the spirit is bounded in the physical body. The number four is a very strong symbol of the material world which we shall discuss further in the following chapters.

“ The Compass, as the Symbol of the Heavens, represents the spiritual portion of this double nature of Humanity…and the Square, as the Symbol of the Earth is material, sensual and baser portion”-Albert Pike, Morals & Dogma

When beginning work as an Apprentice, the Square is laid on top of the compasses to show that the spirit is still dominated by matter. At the second degree, that of Fellow, the Square and Compasses are interlaced. There is balance. At the degree of Master, the Compasses are laid over the Square.

W.K Macnulty has a more metaphorical interpretation:The oldest definition of Freemasonry emphasises its central function and role in the city: a Mason is someone who proves by verification, that is to say someone who listens attentively to “what” is being said and no to “who” is saying it. The geometrician-buider measures words with the yard-stick of meaning and not according to the social status of the speaer. Therefore the Square and Compasses are the tools of a free man. They are the tools of a way of thinking which recognises the possibility of making statements about reality, understanding its laws and modifying it in order to better the human condition. They are tools invented by human beings to help them exercise the power they know they possess to shape reality. Symbolism makes the meaning of these tools clearer by depicting them as images of the mind and soul. Leonardo Da Vinci, who reportedly was a 33^rd degree mason, depicted this idea in his famous Vetruvian Man.

.

To begin the analysis of the Vetruvian Man notice how in the image on the right that there are lines drawn over the arms and the trunk, across the chest and over the legs and neck. The head is divided into another series of lines. Notice that the feet are drawn at both 90 degrees and 45 degrees. If you were to stand with your arms straight out and your legs straight down, a square or cube forms around your body, as in Leonardo`s drawing. If you put your legs out to the side, like the outer legs on the drawing and stretch out your arms like the upper arms, a perfect circle or sphere fits around your body, and its center is located exactly at the navel. When you do that, the circle and the square exactly touch at the bottom.(Drunvalo Melchizedek,1999,The Ancient Secret of the Flower of Life)

Though being by far the most widespread association of the square and the circle, it is not the only one.

.

From Top Left to Right Bottom: Fra Giovanni Giocondo (1435-1515); Hildegard von Bingen (1098-1179) Cesare Cesariano, Vitruvian Man (1521)Francesco Giorgi, Vitruvian Man, (1525); One Euro Coin; Francesco Giorgi, Vitruvian Man, (1525); Francesco di Giorgio, contemporary of Leonardo, Vitruvian Man; Albrecht Durer, Study on anatomy and geometrical proportions (1528)

• 
  The Two Pillars- Jachin and Boaz
  

The Two Pillars were said to have standed at the entrance of Solomon`s Temple and the intepretation of the their signifance varies from author to author.

Their symbolic nature is duality and essentialy binary: each of them represents one pole of reality. They are aesthetically similar, but each has its own particular character. The pillars are described in three Biblical passages. All three descriptions although markedly different, name the right hand pillar Jachin and left hand one Boaz. In the Masonic rites Jachin is translated as “may it establish” and Boaz as “with strenght”( W MacNaulty,2006 Symbols, Signs, Significance.)

Emulation Working, which is a commonly observed English system of Freemasonry, says of the pillars: “They were built to be hollow, so that they could hold the archives of Masonsry and indeed the scrolls of the constitution were laid within them.” In the Constitutions of 1738 James Anderso says of them :” Some call them the pillars of Seth, but the old masons always refer to them as the pillars of Enoch”

• 
  Pomegranates- The pillars are topped by capitals decorated with pomegranates. Commentators of rituals have compared the seeds of the pomegranate to the Masons, who are joined together by their souls. In ancient Greece, pomegranate seeds were linked to the idea of error. Persephone tells her mother how she was seduced against her will : “He cunningly placed sweet sugared food in my hand, a pomegranate seed, and forced me to eat it despite myself” (Homeric Hymn to Demeter).
  

W.K MacNulty points out that “ In the text of Genesis the fruit is not actually named. The word used is peri which means fruit. This has become apple in translation but many commentatiors now associate the apple with the pomegranate. In fact, the fruit in Genesis could well be a fig or pomegranate, which are more common in the Middle East than apples”.

• 
  The Three Columns(Three Orders of Architecture)
  

The Three Orders of Architecture(Doric, Ionic and Corinthian) originated in Greece and are distinguished by their proportions, characteristic profiles and details. In Freemasonry each of them represents a virtue: Doric-Strength,Ionic-Wisdom and Corinthian-Beauty.

In many rites the three columns are topped with candles or three tall candlesticks are placed in the Lodge. Lights are lit are the beginning of work and extinguished at the end. These columns, or pillars, stand for the trinit of Wisom-Strenght-Beauty. Wisdom is necessary for invention, Strength to accomplsh a task and beauty is for ornament. (Daniel Beresniak,1997 Symbols of Freemasonry.)

• 
  The Rough Ashlar, Cubical Stone and Pointed Cubical Stone
  

In Creation, God says that Man shall be punished to work “by the sweat of his brow”’ Masonic philosophy wants man to willingly choose work, as a source of tremendous satisfaction and joy.

“If the profane man works to live, the Fellow Craft lives to work” Father Chenu

1. 
   Rough Ashlar- is by excellence the raw material of the Freemason; it is a “nothing” with wretched aspect, bad smell and black colour but it is a “nothing” that contains within itself “Everything” (Gibet, 2006, Le Livre de l`Apprenti)
   

Derived from the art of building cathedrals and temples, Freemasonry extracts its symbolism from the art of construction and sees the individual as rough ashlar that must be processed, cut and polished in order to become cubic stone.

Rough ashlar is the raw material to be worked one. Stone symbolises human beings in their natural state, before they work on themselves through introspection. The symbolism of builders, guildsmen and Freemasons develops around the notion that “to make” refers to “making something of oneself”. A reading of Masonic texts shows that role models are presented with the invitation that they be copied. The models are asked to identify themselves with are the sages and, to achieve mastership, the architecht Hiram. Cutting stone is seen as “becoming”. It is an act which recognises the need for change (Jean Verdun, 2007, La Realite Maconnique)

2. 
   Between the rough ashlar and the pointed cubic stone, the Apprentice receives the cubic stone as a model for his work. He uses his tools to polish it and in the same time it polishes his tools and invites him to persevere.
   

3. 
   The pointed cubic stone is represents, through a simplified form as a square continued by a triangle. The passage from rough ashlar to pointed cubic stone is alegoric, a symbol that mars a gradual process which leads to a state of perfection.
   

Alber G. Mackey reminds us that the difference between operative and speculative Freemasonry is the fact that while the first was entrusted to create a material temple, the latter concerns the building of a spiritual structure where the stones, wood and precious metals are replaced by virtues of the heart, emotions of the soul and the affection of the spirit.

Thus the association between the cornerstone (cubical stone) of a material edifice and a Mason at his first initiation who starts the intellectual task to build a spiritual temple in his heart. The cornerstone`s sides must all be perfect squares because whitout this geometric form, the walls will deviate from perpendicularity therefore weakening the structure.

If all the faces are squares the solid content will be a cube. And the square and the cube are very important symbols. For the greeks, the square was considered a perfect geometric figure and the expression: “Squared(or cubic) man” was used to describe a man of intact integrity(Albert G Mackey,1935, The Symbolism of Freemasonry.).

• 
  Other tools of the Mason
  

1. 
   The Gavel and the Chisel
   

2. 
   The Plumb line and the Plumb rule.
   

3. 
   The Gauge and the Lever.
   

4. 
   The Trowel
   

It is also associated with creative power, which is illustrated by the fact that in the Middle Ages the Creator was sometimes depicted holding a trowel.

• 
  The Blazing Star
  

The Blazing Star is a symbol associated with the Second Degree: The Fellow Craft. In the Christian tradition the star represents the souls that will be incarnated. God tells Abraham that he`s descendants will be “as many as stars in the sky”. Another important mention of the star is when the 3 wise men were guided by a star to the place of birth of Jesus.

In the Hebrew tradition an angel is associated with every star and also the star represents eternal life for the righteous.

For the aztecs stars represented the souls fo warriors killed in battle and in China it is believed that every living creature has a corresponding star, therefore shooting stars mark deaths or births.

Also, Julien Behaeghel states that Pharaoh, in order to enter eternity must execute three steps (journeys) : the Step of the Earth, the Step of the Sun and the Step of the Star, making th Star the purpose of a journey.( Julien Behaeghel,2007 Quete Symbolique d`un FrancMacon).

One interesting fact concerns Dante Alighieri. Being known as an active member of secret societies during his time, he ends all of the three books of the Divine Comedy with a reference to a star.

• 
  Inferno: “E quindi uscimmo a riveder le stelle” –And then we went outside to see the stars
  
• 
  Purgatory: “Pur e disposto a salire alle stelle” –Pure and ready to touch the stars
  
• 
  Paradise: “L`amour che move il sale e l`altre stelle”- The love that moves the sun and the other stars.
  

Irene Mainguy also states that the Blazing Star is shown to the Fellow Craft at the end of his initiation. To the question: “Are you a Fellow Craft?” he answers “I have seen the Blazing Star”. This corresponds with the interior vision performed with the Third Eye(Inner Eye/Eye of the Heart). To see with the Inner Eye means to know, to understand. (Irene Mainguy,2004 La Symbolique maconnique du troisieme millenair p 203).

• 
  The Mason`s Clothing:
  

1. 
   The Apron is the Mason`s most distinctive item of clothing. It dates back to the days of Operative Freemasonry when Masons wore a long apron of thick leather to protect themselves against splinters of rock and blows from their tools. Entered Apprentices aprons are made of a white material, traditionally lamskin. The Fellows wear the same apron, but with the bib turned down. Masters` apron are made of hide or satin, edged with red, green or blue depending on the rite and lined with black. As a piece of protective clothing, the apron symbolises hard work because it is necessary to protect oneself from the splinters of rough ashlar. At the same time it helps create and maintain the bond of belonging to the same fraternity.
   

2. 
   The Sash and collar are the only decorative items to be worn above the belt. In pre-revolutionary France, the sash was worn only by the nobility. The Masonic lodge became he first place where everyone, whatever their social status or origins, wore a sash, showing equality from “on high”.
   

3. 
   The Gloves are generally white but, in the higher grades, may be red, blac or white edged with red. In the past, following the initiation ceremony, an Apprentice received two pairs of gloves: one for himself and another to give to “the lady he esteemed most highly”. In 1780 having “been given the light” at the Amalia with Three Roses Lodge in Weimar, Goethe sent a pair of gloves to Madame de Stein with a letter containing the following words :” Here is a rather modest present, but it is one that a man can give only once in his life”.
   

4. 
   The Hat comes from the 18^th century when the Worshipful Master wore a hat in the Lodge, as did the other Masters sometimes. The hat, like the crown, is an emblem of royalty and is a reminder to the Masters that their task is to rule, and not to wield power for their own purposes. (W. MacNulty, 2006, Freemasonry: Symbol, Signs,Significance)
   

• 
  The acacia- appears at the thid degree, that of Master and it is used symbolically to locate the tomb of the Master Hiram.
  
• 
  The rose- holds the same symbolic value as the lotus in the East. The rose is also associated with knowledge and is thought to be the treasure of wisdom. Jean de Meung`s Roman de la Rose is the world`s first encyclopedia,the sum of thriteenth-century medieval knowledge. The mystic rose is the final illumination at the last stage of a spiritual quest.
  

• 
  The Letter G
  

The letter G is a very importat Masonic symbol and in most of the rites it is associated with the Second Degree: Fellow Craft.

Roger Richard quotes from an ancient ritual from the 18^th century: “The letter G which you see in the centre presents two great and sublime ideas: First is a monogram of one of the names of the Divine Being; the second represents Geometry, science that is based on the application of the properties of numbers to the size of things” Roger Richard, 2002, Dictionnaire Maconnique)

Q: Why have you been accepted as a Fellow?

A: In order to learn about the letter “G”

Q: What does this letter mean?

A: Geometry or the fifth science

Irene Mainguy states that the first references to the letter G appear in Masonry Dissected Samuel Prichard (1730), then in the Catechisme des Franc-Macons(1744), in Sceau Rompu (1745) and Le Macon Demasque (1751) whre we see catechismes such as:

Q: This G, what does it mean?

A: Someone greater than you.

Q: Who is greater that men, which I am a Free and Accepted Mason, the Worshipful of a Lodge

A: The Great Architect of the Universe

Daniel Beresniak states that the Fellow Mason must be informed of the history of the Rituals in order to clarify the meaning of the letter G in raport to the time period. For example, one of the meanings: Gravitation must be seen in connection with the impact of Isaac Newton`s theories in the society of the 18^th century. In the same way, at the time of the Regius and Cooke manuscripts the primordial meaning was Geometry (Daniel Beresniak,1995m Rites et Symbols de la Franc-Maconnerie.).

Oswald Wirth also mentions that in the 18^th century French Masons saw the letter G as a potential symbol for: Glory, Grandeur and Geometry. (Oswald Wirth 2002,La Franc-Maconnerie rendue intelligible a ses adepts. Le Compagnon p 48-49).

The Regius Manuscript (1390) which is an important part of the Old Charges(first document that establishes the guides and principles of Freemasonry) features a poem that sustains the idea that the letter G comes from Geometry

(…)

Both well and honestly full securely.

In that time, through good geometry,

This honest craft of good masonry

Was ordained and made in this manner

(…)

At these lord's prayers they counter-

feited geometry,

And gave it the name of masonry,

For the most honest craft of all.

(..)

http://www.freemasons-freemasonry.com/regius.html

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