Freemasons: History and symbols of Freemasonry
QuestMagazine.com
Freemasonry is a spiritual and fraternal society that uses an initiatory system of degrees to explore ethical and philosophical issues. Membership is limited to men but there are Masonic related organizations that are open to both males and females. It views itself not as a secret society but as a society with secrets. The Masonic Order has roots from antiquity. Members of the Order are joined together by shared ideals of both a moral and metaphysical nature and by a common belief in a Supreme Being (the Great Architect of the Universe).
Masonic symbols
Freemasonry often calls itself "a beautiful system of morality veiled in allegory and illustrated by symbols." Masonic symbols come from various cultures and different periods of history. They often have several mystic meanings to the Freemasons. The square and compass is the most widely used and best known of the Masonic symbols. Another symbol that is well known, but not because of Masonry, is the skull and crossbones. The skull and crossbones symbol was used by the ancient Christians on their burial sites in the catacombs. It was also used by the Medieval Knights Templar. In Freemasonry it is symbolic of mortality and rebirth.
Knights Templar and Freemasons
Some historians and authors have tried to draw a link from Freemasonry and its many branches to the Knights Templar, with some Masonic groups claiming a direct descent from them. Author John J. Robinson makes a case for the Templar / Freemason connection in his book Born in Blood: The Lost Secrets of Freemasonry.
Founding Fathers and Freemasonry
Freemasonry played a major role in the founding of the United States, with many Founding Fathers being Freemasons, including such notables as George Washington and Benjamin Franklin. The cornerstone to the U.S. Capitol was laid by Washington in a Masonic ceremony.
Books and movies with Masonic themes
- The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown is a novel that is a conspiracy thriller which features Robert Langdon, a professor of religious symbology at Harvard University. The story is set in Washington, DC, and focuses on Masonic symbols.
- National Treasure is a movie that is a thriller set in Washington, DC.
- Dune by Frank Herbert is a science fiction novel that contains Masonic symbolism. The order of the Bene Gesserit is a play on 'bene Jesuit,' which is Latin and English combined for 'good Jesuit.' This is a term that often is used sarcastically. The name Fremen plays on Freemason. The use of the color blue in the Fremen's eyes is representative of the Blue Lodge, which is the primary organization in Freemasonry. Also, the Jesuits and Freemasons have a long history of political rivalry, which is a parallel to the Bene Gesserit and Fremen relationship.
- The Man Who Would Be King by Rudyard Kipling
Masonic and related organizations
Organizations limited to Freemasons
* Masonic Lodge (Blue Lodge)
* York Rite
* Scottish Rite
* Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine (Shriners)
* Ancient Egyptian Order of Sciots
* National Sojourners
* The Philalethes Society
* Tall Cedars of Lebanon
Organizations not limited to Freemasons
* Daughters of the Nile
* DeMolay International
* International Order of the Rainbow for Girls
* Job's Daughters International
* Ladies Oriental Shrine of North America
* Order of the Eastern Star
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Hal Siemer is a historian, folklorist, religious researcher, writer, and the Editor of Quest Magazine. He has done extensive research on the Knights Templar, Freemasonry, ancient mysteries and Halloween and Christmas customs, traditions, and folklore. He founded and was president of a public policy think tank. He previously has worked as a lobbyist for nonprofit organizations and has been a political consultant.
Hal Siemer frequently is a guest on radio talk shows. His writing has appeared in the Dallas Morning News, the San Francisco Chronicle, the Austin Review, and other newspapers.
Hal Siemer's professional society memberships include the:
- American Anthropological Association
- American Folklore Society
- Medieval Academy of America
- Society for the Anthropology of Religion
See also
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