The Masonic Lodge What You Need to Know
Freemason secrets allegedly lurk behind everything from the planning of our nation's capital letter to murder. Members of the enigmatic Masonic brotherhood include prominent politicians, Founding Fathers and titans of business. In modern times, Masons are known for donating millions to charity. Only who are the Freemasons and what do they stand up for? Is there really a hush-hush Freemason handshake? Here are seven things you may non know about Freemasons.
1. The Freemasons Are the Oldest Fraternal System in the Globe.
Freemasons belong to the oldest fraternal organization in the earth, a group begun during the Centre Ages in Europe as a social club of skilled builders. With the decline of cathedral building, the focus of the society shifted. Today, "Freemasons are a social and philanthropic organization meant to make its members lead more virtuous and socially oriented lives," says Margaret Jacob, professor of history at University of California, Los Angeles, and author of Living the Enlightenment: Freemasonry and Politics in Eighteenth-Century Europe.Grounded in the Enlightenment, the organization "all the same conveys [the era's] core values, religious tolerance, thirst for knowledge [and] sociability," says Cécile Révauger, a freemason, historian of Freemasonry and professor at the Academy of Bordeaux.
While not a secret order, per se, it does accept hush-hush passwords and rituals that originate with the medieval order, says Jacob: "In the original order, in that location were 3 stages: Apprentice, Fellowcraft and Main Masons who oversaw everyone working on a site. Today, these degrees are more philosophical."
two. Freemason Symbols Aren't What You Recall.
Freemasons have long communicated using visual symbols fatigued from the tools of stonemasonry. The "All-seeing Eye," or Eye of Providence, while non designed by Masons, has been used past the group to represent the omniscience of God. The most well-known Freemason symbol, "The Square and Compasses," depicts a builder'south square joined by a compass. The "G" at its center remains subject to dispute; some experts at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, for example, believe the "Grand" in the symbol'due south centre represents geometry, a critical field to the first Freemasons, while others believe it represents God, the "One thousand Builder of the Universe." The Square and Compasses remains a popular symbol on Masonic rings.
There'southward another, bottom-known Masonic symbol drawn from nature: the beehive. "Masons were originally working men who were supposed to exist as busy as bees," says Jacob. "And the beehive symbolizes the industriousness of the lodge."
The Masonic foursquare and compasses symbol is seen on the main floor wall at the headquarters of the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, Washington, D.C.
Tim Sloan/AFP/Getty Images
WATCH: America's Book of Secrets: Freemasons on HISTORY Vault.
3. Yes, In that location Is a Freemason Handshake. Several, Actually.
Freemasons greet 1 another with a variety of handshakes, all based on i's rank within the organization. "There is a handshake for each degree: Apprentice, Fellowcraft, and Master, i.e., the first three degrees and likewise in the higher degrees," says Révauger. "Each rite has its own handshakes, so at that place is quite a diverseness. They are used during Masonic ceremonies."
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iv. The Cosmic Church Forbids Members from Being Freemasons.
While Freemasonry is non itself a religion, all its members believe in a Supreme Being, or "Grand Builder of the Universe." Members come from many faiths, only one denomination in particular confined any crossover. The Catholic Church first condemned Freemasonry in 1738, prompted past concern over Masonic temples and the clandestine rituals performed within them. In the 19th century, the Vatican even called the Masons "the Synagogue of Satan."
The Church building went even farther in 1983, declaring: "Their principles have always been considered irreconcilable with the doctrine of the Church and therefore membership in them remains forbidden. The faithful who enroll in Masonic associations are in a country of grave sin and may not receive Holy Communion."
5. Freemasons Inspired America's First Political Third Party.
In the realm of politics, the first third party in the United States, the Anti-Masonic Party, formed in 1828 in response to fears that the grouping was growing likewise secretive and powerful. Many of its members touted conspiracy theories about the Freemasons, with some leaders claiming that an infamous murder of the fourth dimension had occurred at the hands of the Masons, in an endeavour to keep to keep the victim from revealing the organization'due south secrets.
READ MORE: Ane Man Exposed the Secrets of the Freemasons. His Disappearance Led to Their Downfall
six. It's Withal a Boys' Club…Mostly.
Traditionally, Freemason membership has only been open to men. In the grouping'southward "1723 Constitutions," a kind of guidebook to the organization by James Anderson, written under the aegis of the Grand Lodge of England, women and atheists were excluded along with enslaved people.
Now, "masons come from all walks of life, provided they tin can afford to pay the annual subscription," says Révauger. But while women are allowed to bring together an affiliated organization chosen The Order of the Eastern Star, and some lodges recognize female members, "freemasonry is not every bit universal as it claims, since in many countries…women and atheists are however excluded." In the U.S. and Europe, it tin vary city to city, lodge to gild.
Since in that location is no national system in the Usa, "chiliad lodges in each state are a court of last resort," says Jacob. This has led to some controversial rulings: "Particularly in southern states, Freemasonry remains segregated," says Jacob. "In the United states, several Chiliad Lodges still decline to recognize Prince Hall Freemasonry, i.e., African American Masons," adds Révauger.
READ More: 5 of History's Most Secret Societies
seven. Famous Freemasons Are Everywhere.
Famous Freemasons tin can be found throughout history: George Washington was a Primary Mason, and Benjamin Franklin was a founding member of the first Masonic Lodge in America. Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and Gerald Ford were Masons, as was Prime Minister of Great Britain Winston Churchill. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Davy Crockett, Duke Ellington, Nat Male monarch Cole, Henry Ford, Paul Robeson, and astronaut Fizz Aldrin were also Freemasons.
Source: https://www.history.com/news/freemasons-facts-symbols-handshake-meaning
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