Top Ten Freemasonry Symbols

and Masonic Secrets

By Duncan Burden

1) The Square and Compass

The Square and Compass is possibly the most recognisable symbol of Freemasonry itself. As a symbol it can frequently be seen displayed on Masonic Halls and Temples, and is the most common device worn by Freemasons in public (except in England where it is considered improper to wear the symbol outside of the Lodge). At first glance it may appear openly understandable why the Square and Compass is used to represent the Fraternity, as both are tools used in the art of Stonemasonry. Yet, on reflection the choice is slightly curious, as a Square and Compass, as tools, could equally be associated with carpentry or architecture.

Indeed, records show guilds using the symbol is medieval Europe, with no reference to Freemasonry at all. So why are they used to represent Freemasonry? Wouldn’t a stone chisel and heavy maul be more specific? Indeed, these latter two tools, and several others, are actually found described in Masonic rituals, but did not enter masonic rituals until after the Square and Compass was established as representing Freemasonry and Stonemasonry Guilds.

The answer relates to the central meaning of Speculative Freemasonry.

As the word ‘Speculative’ implies, Speculative Freemasonry is about thinking and contemplating. In its rituals it repeatedly refers to God being an architect. The individual is meant to think about this practically and metaphorically. Meaning that God is believed to have designed the physical world, (indeed, in all officially recognised Masonic Jurisdictions prospective members must believe in a Divine creator). As such, the Masonic argument continues that if the world and the universe was designed, then it would seem logical that there is a purpose to that creation. Therefore, as humanity, and the individual, are part of that creation, then we collectively, and individually, also have a purpose.

Because of this thinking, Freemasons are meant to look at the world to appreciate God’s architectural skill both physically and metaphorically, but also to be mindful of their place in existence – to be of respectful worth. With this understanding, the Square and Compass don’t represent the specific tools of a Stone Mason, but of architecture – both as divine architecture, but also how the individual can study that design and be the architects of their part in it.

 

2) The Broken Pillar

Pillars are repeatedly used as symbols within Freemasonry, the most prominent being the two Pillars of King Solomon’s Temple that feature significantly in Craft Freemasonry. In addition, Freemasonry uses three pillars to represent the principles of Wisdom, Strength and Beauty. Yet, the Broken Pillar is a more subtle symbol within Freemasonry, and was only adopted relatively recently by the Fraternity, mostly on a more social level.

Masonically, it originally represented the respect of the death of a Senior Mason who had been a strong supporter and advocate of Freemasonry. It is easy to appreciate how a ‘pillar’ (an architectural tool to hold up a structure) can be used as a metaphor for someone supporting a society. Equally, to symbolise that pillar as being broken could be seen as a loss of that support.

The inspiration for the symbol is meant to be derived from the Biblical passage Isaiah 19:10. Although, there are many versions of its literal translation, possibly the World English Bible offers the clearest reasoning;

‘The pillars will be broken in pieces. All those who work for hire will be grieved in soul.’

What should be appreciated, and a concept that is common with Masonic symbols, many are not exclusive, or originate, from Freemasonry. This representation of a broken column, as a symbol of death/loss, can be found in cemeteries around the world and without connection to the Fraternity. Even so, the symbol has been adopted by Masons, and through the decades has expanded from just representing the death of notable Senior Masons, but to anyone with a Masonic connection as a universal sign of respect. In some jurisdictions, a lapel pin badge depicting a broken column is also given to the partner of a deceased Mason. This badge they are at liberty to wear, and any Mason who sees it should feel inspired to be empathetic to the individual and offer condolences for their loss and offer help if required (and possible).

 

3) An Acacia Sprig

The Sprig of Acacia is a very significant symbol within Freemasonry, and is one of the rare unique ones. As a recognisable symbol amongst Masons it is also occasionally worn as a lapel pin badge. It is considered more subtle for public display, so is more acceptable in the UK – alongside the controversial ‘Forget-Me-Not’ pin (controversial due that, contrary to many websites and merchandising, the flower was not actually worn by Freemasons during World War 2) and the more comical representation of a stick and two spheres (which is a pun in-joke amongst Master Masons).

As for the Acacia Sprig, this symbol also relates specifically to the Master Mason ceremony and the ritual of Hiram Abiff’s death. Within the story the plant was used to mark his temporary grave, and so is seen as a token of his death and the significance it is meant to convey.

The Acacia plant, often referred to within Biblical texts as Shittim, or Shittah as plural, appears to hold its own sacred reverence. It was the wood that Moses was ordered to make the Tabernacle from, along with the Ark of the Covenant and the ritual table for the shewbread. As this wood is listed as being used for these sacred objects, it is understandably to see it entwined with the Masonic story of the Master Builder of King Solomon’s Temple.

Since its adoption within Freemasonry, various symbolic values have been attribute to it, such as, with it being an ‘evergreen’ plant and found in dry, dessert-like environments, it is said to represent the immortality of the soul. This is seems unlikely, as stronger vegetative symbol would be the ‘Rose of Jericho’ plant, whose every name is taken from the fact of how it appears to be dead, but can be revived. Even so, some American versions of Masonic ritual have included rhetoric enforcing the Acacia sprig representing youth and vigour, and the immortal spirit of faith.

As Freemasons are instructed to learn classical Grammar, Rhetoric and linguistic Logic; this would have included the requirement to learn the origin and root-meaning words. As such, a Mason would discover that the Greek basis of the word ‘Acacia’ actually relates to the moral quality of ‘Innocence’ or ‘purity of life’, which is far more relevant to the story of Hiram Abiff and the reasoning given for his story within the Master Mason degree.

 

4) The Globes

The Globes are a curious addition to the list because not only could they appear to be a paradox to the observant Freemason, but they also are something masonically listed as being on a biblical building but are not actually found in the Bible.

To what they are said to be are two globes that were placed on the top of the two pillars of King Solomon’s Temple. One globe was meant to portray a map of the stars and the other globe of the world. The paradox is, how is a Freemason meant to believe that a spherical representation of the earth was meant to have existed on a temple when in the 18th century scholars, scientists and churches were still wondering if the world was flat?! Indeed, ancient Greeks had hypothesised that the world was round long before the findings of Kepler, Galileo and Newton proved the point to the general public, but attempting to have a globe existed on the pillars of King Solomon’s Temple is a lot to ask.

Which brings on the next point; the two globes are not actually referred to in Bible as such. Instead, what appeared to have happened, as echoed in Masonic ritual, is that the two pillars were taken as representing the pillar of fire and cloud that assisted the Israelites in their escape from Egypt. In early depictions of the Temple, and alternative descriptions, each pillar was shown having a cresset on each column, which was a cupped dish in which fire was lit during services. This would make ‘fire’ and ‘smoke’. Unfortunately in the drawings these appeared as ‘balls’ and so the Masonic ritual described them as such and attributed their own meaning (and description of them). For Freemasonry, these globes hold two values, the first to show that Freemasonry is ‘universal’, but also that scientific study is also a part of the Craft – that discovering the facts of existence and creation, is discovering the proof divine creation.

 

5) 47th Problem of Euclid

Euclid has a long association with the history of Freemasonry, even if only mythically. Yet, it is his 47th Problem, when geometrically drawn, which is his primary symbolic representation in a Masonic Lodge. Although not universal, it is the common device found on the collar of Past Master of a Lodge and, for those jurisdictions that support it, hangs on a Past Master’s Jewel.

Besides it being called the 47th problem of Euclid, it wasn’t actually found by him. Instead its discovery is credited to the school of the Pythagoreans. As for Euclid, he wrote thirteen books, containing a collection of 465 ‘problems’ (or explanations of mostly geometric observations). 47th Problem is found in the first book and is basically the Pythagorean Theorem we all mostly got taught at school. Which is, with a right-angled triangle, the square of the hypotenuse is equal to the sum of the squares of the other two sides.

Neither Pythagoras nor Euclid are mentioned in the Craft Degrees of English Freemasonry. However in some American ritual versions they do refer to Pythagoras and this geometric design. Strangely they quote that he shouted ‘Eureka’ on the discovery. This is peculiar as the term is more famously attributed to Archimedes not Pythagoras.

Even so, the practical use of the theorem has historically helped classical surveyors to layout the grounding of a floor or area, helped builders and architects insure a wall was mathematically perpendicular. Additionally, this geometrical equation could be used to survey the natural world around; to assist in calculating the height of a mountain and to discover the distance of the sun, moon and planets. As such, the 47th Problem of Euclid was the primary geometric tool that held the practical value to architecture and surveying, but also to ‘estimate the works of the Almighty’ – a duty a Freemason is meant to appreciate.

 

6) Jacob’s Ladder

Many are already familiar with the story of Jacob’s ladder, which is revealed in the Biblical verse of Genesis 28:10-18. It describes how the Patriarch Jacob, when travelling toward Haran, took a stone as a pillow, laid down and fell asleep. As he slept he dreamt he saw a ladder that went from earth to heaven. He saw angels ascending and descending this ladder. God then appeared to him and said that the land on which he rested was his, and that of his future generations. The following part of the story has been accepted in two ways. For some they have taken that Jacob then described what he thought heaven was like, that is was terrifyingly awesome and that the ladder was the gate to heaven. Some have taken that the conclusion of the verse was Jacob describing the land that God had described as his, that it was awesome and was the ladder to heaven. Whichever is accepted, he is described as taking the initial stone and placed it under a pillar of stones, over which he poured oil on it in an act of anointing the place or shrine.

This concept of building a rudimentary stone temple, could easy be seen as an attractive symbol to Freemasonry, and the ladder is a familiar image found on a First Degree Tracing Board (A Tracing Board is a picture that is placed in a masonic Lodge which is relevant to a specific degree). As such, the ladder is symbolic of the goal of a Freemason, to progress upwards; not progress through the degrees of Freemasonry, but the goals of Freemasonry. These goals are commonly represented on the ladder as three specific angels, or symbols, representing Faith, Hope and Charity, (as symbols, they are seen as a cross, an anchor and a heart). On some Masonic ladders, the four cardinal virtues are also shown; namely prudence (or practical wisdom), justice (or morality), temperance (or moderation) and fortitude (or courage).

 

7) A Key

The Key is becoming a lost symbol of Freemasonry, mostly due to the changes in rituals that occurred in the early 19th century, but its significance is still worth noting as some still might find this small symbol still hiding in plain sight.

The curious point about this symbol is that, unlike the other symbols which are normally literally described within the ceremony, this symbol is actually a pictorial metaphor of a part of the ceremony; which is unfortunately no longer common.

The part forgotten part of the ritual is first found in the earliest known exposure of Masonic ritual; namely ‘Masonry Dissected’, written in 1730 by Samuel Pritchard. The passage given is:-

Q. Have you any Key to [the Secrets contained in the Lodge]?
A. Yes.
Q. Where do you keep it?
A. In a Bone Box that neither opens nor shuts but with Ivory Keys.
Q. Does it hang or does it lie?
A. It hangs.
Q. What does it hang by?
A. A Tow-Line 9 inches or a Span.
Q. What Metal is it of?
A. No manner of Metal at all; but a Tongue of good Report is as good behind a Brother’s Back as before his Face.

The ‘Key’ is actually referring to the tongue of the Mason being questioned. The ‘Bone Box’ is their mouth (lined with teeth). The ‘Tow-Line’ is the roof of the mouth. The entire passage is about how a Freemason is meant to keep the secrets that are passed to them – which itself is a test of the individual’s integrity. This passage is no longer common, in fact, it is very rare. The symbol itself can be seen on very old Tracing Boards of the First Degree, as a very small ‘Key’ hung on a rung of Jacob’s ladder – good luck finding one.

 

8) The Winding Staircase

The Winding Staircase is a very special metaphor used in the Fellow Craft Degree. Under the English Constitution, and in many others, it is described as a specific stairway found in the Temple of Solomon, up which the Masons who built the temple ascended to receive their wages.

The Staircase is described in some detail, but the details of its description can vary greatly from one version of the ritual to another. In modern rituals, the stairway is normally described as being internal, but many 18th century ceremonies describe is as external. Another common difference is the number of steps and their significance. Curiously, the description of the staircase within the Bible is very vague.

The meaning of the symbol within the ceremony is that it represents an ascent through life and time. What may surprise many Freemasons is that this symbol is far from Masonic, and was a common metaphor in literature long before it became evident in Masonic rhetoric.

A beautiful example could be found in a work of Shakespeare’s, written in the early 17th century, nearly a hundred years before its Masonic use. The quote in question can be found in the famous soliloquy of Hamlet, which beings with the immortal lines ‘To be, or not to be.’ The speech itself is about Hamlet contemplating suicide, in which he describes death as ‘When we have shuffled off this mortal coil’.

Spiralling coils have represented the passage of life in many aspects of art. During the Renaissance the study of natural spirals, like shells, were seen as an investigation of Divine creation. As a spiral grew and widened it was seen as a representation of growth showing a shell still as a child (in the smaller part of the spiral) but also its development to an adult (in the large part of the spiral). The growth by mathematical proportion was the seen as the code of God. Adding this metaphor to the ascending notion of a stairway, or ladder, the two concepts become the perfect image of a life (and possibly the natural exhaustion of life in climbing those stairs).

 

9) The Rough and Smooth Ashlar

The Rough and Smooth Ashlar are two of the few symbols of Freemasonry that are clearly described as Masonic progression whilst using an actual carved stone. Progression is a fundamental part of Freemasonry, not only is it clearly evident in the symbolic images of ladders and winding staircases, it is also presented in the very structure of Freemasonry itself and its use of progressive degrees to mark the advancement of its members.

An ashlar is a carved stone which in freemasonry is in a cube shape. The Rough Ashlar is meant to represent the Entered Apprentice stage for a Freemason and is recognisably cubic, but the sides rough with lumps and unsmooth edges. The symbolic meaning is that is shows the state of both the individual and his skill; that they are rough in character but with the potential (and desire) to be better. The ideology is reminiscent of Michelangelo’s quote about sculpting; ‘I saw the angel in the stone, I simply set him free.’

When the Mason reaches the Second degree, they are represented by the Smooth Ashlar, which is a perfectly formed cube. This is meant to represent that the individual has received all the knowledge they require to be perfect. Some brethren mistakenly believe that this actually means that they are ‘perfect’; unfortunately they haven’t appreciated that this symbol is found in the same ceremony as the form symbol – the Winding Staircase.

The Ashlars also highlight another element that many Freemasons forget. Frequently the Second Degree is often degraded in appreciation as being just an interval step between the excitement of joining the Craft as an entered Apprentice and the accomplishment of being a Master Mason. What is forgotten is that in the importance of the term Fellow Craft, which refers to the operative use of the term ‘fellow’ meaning an ‘equal member’.

It is only as a Fellow of the Craft that a Freemason is recognised as a true qualified Brother (from the Operative sense). This is emphasised by the fact that there is no Ashlar for the Master Mason Degree; as there is no more education in actual (or metaphoric) masonry to be given. The appreciation of this was lost in some European Freemasonry, when a third Ashlar was indeed added, which was a cube with a pyramid top, but this seems contrary to the symbolic transition from rough to smooth.

 

10) Point within a Circle

This specific design is THE most unique symbol of all those found in Freemasonry.

As a whole it is not found anywhere else, except within the Fraternity. It comprises of a circle with a point in the middle, and with two bars running parallel downwards on either side of the circle, touching the circumference. Occasionally a Bible depicted resting on the top of the circle. Another version has the parallel lines replaced with the images of John the Baptist on one side and St John the Evangelist.

The sign is normally meant to specifically represent a Master Mason (whereas the Square and Compass represents Freemasonry as a whole). This seems to be logical when originally the two parallels lines were actually believed to represent the two pillars of Solomon’s Temple. The significance of this is that the two pillars represent the First and Second Degrees; as such, with the dot described as representing the Master Mason, the symbol is conveying that a Master Mason could not fail in their duty if they remained within the guidance and details of the lessons found between the First and Second Degree.

When the Bible was added, the meaning slightly changed, and the circle represented Divine Law and guidance; thus representing that a Master Mason could not fail if they stayed within the instruction of Divine Law and guidance.

Since the parallel lines came to be representations of John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist, there have been many hermetical theories connected to the symbol. Some have thought it is just a reference to the old name attributed to a Masonic Lodge, that to being Lodge of St John. Whilst some support the theory that they simple a reference to the two dates significant to the founding of the first Speculative Grand Lodge in London, in 1717 and the forming of the United Grand Lodge in England in 1813.

Personally, I think the explanation is more religious.

Originally Speculative Freemasonry was predominately a Christian society, as it was the dominant social faith at the time Masonry was developing in 17th/18th century Europe. As such, the representation of John the Baptist on side of the divine circle and John the Evangelist on the other, the circle of Divine Law and Guidance was just any Divine Law, but that of the teachings of Christ; that no Master Mason could go wrong following the teachings of the New Testament of Christ – beginning with the Baptism of Christ and the conclusion of the final ‘Revelations’ of St. John the Baptist.

Modern Freemasonry holds a strict adherence now to the openness of religious freedom, which is to its credit. Unfortunately, this makes such discussions of this presentation of Freemasonry through this period awkward for many, and leaves the meaning of this symbol now open to interpretation.

 

~Article written by Duncan Burden

Duncan Burden enjoys researching history. Although he often writes on Masonic issues, since he has been a Freemason for most of his adult life and is a member of various Masonic bodies, such as the Royal and Select Master Masons, and Operative Masons, he takes pleasure in writing on all historic, mysterious, and exciting topics.

He was born on the Norfolk Coast, and now lives in Hertfordshire, England.

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