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All the myths and rumors about Masonic organizations probably have you wondering "what do Masons really do?" Questions like this one are a natural by-product of being the oldest and largest "secret society" in the world. This book is an ideal starting place to find answers to your questions about the secret and not-so-secret things about Freemasonry.
Now in its third edition, this international best-seller peeks behind the door of your local Masonic lodge and explains the meanings behind the rituals, rites, and symbols of the organization. Along the way the book covers nearly 3,000 years of Masonic history, introduces you to some famous Freemasons you already know from history books, and explains the relationship with related groups like Knights Templar, Scottish Rite, Order of Eastern Star, and the beloved fez-wearing Shriners.
Look inside the book to learn:
Written by a 33rd degree Scottish Rite Mason and the Public Relations and Marketing Director for the Grand Lodge F&AM of Indiana, Freemasons For Dummies is a must-read guide for anyone interested in this ancient fraternal order, whether you're looking to join or are just curious about some of the more mysterious aspects of Freemasonry.
| ISBN-13: | 9781119843429 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Wiley |
| Publication date: | 10/26/2021 |
| Edition description: | 3rd ed. |
| Pages: | 432 |
| Sales rank: | 359,186 |
| Product dimensions: | 7.40(w) x 8.90(h) x 1.00(d) |
In This Chapter
* Defining Freemasonry
* Knowing where it came from
* Discovering what Freemasons do
* Getting the scoop on all those secrets
"Mystery creates wonder, and wonder is the basis of man's desire to understand." -Neil Armstrong
Drive through just about any town in America, and keep your eyes open. Sooner or later, you'll pass a building or a sign sporting a square and compass, like the one shown in Figure 1-1. It may be a large, impressive building, or a small humble one. It may be marked with a huge sign in the yard, or a simple cornerstone. But it will be there. It is a sign universally recognized throughout the world for centuries, as a symbol of truth, morality, and brotherly love. It is the square and compass of Freemasonry.
The greatest lure of Freemasonry is the mystique of a locked door. On the other side of that door are rituals, symbols, and ceremonies known only to its members and Masters, and unwritten secrets that have been passed from mouth to ear for centuries.
Masonic libraries are filled with books of antiquity. Science, philosophy, history, religion, and symbolism all collide in the collected works of Masonic scholars. The literature of the fraternity is strewn with legends and myths and ancient mysteries.
Voltaire, Mozart, George Washington, and Winston Churchill have all been members, along with nine signers of the Declaration of Independence and 14 U.S. presidents. The Founding Fathers of the United States embraced Masonic principles and wrote them into the foundations of U.S. government. But dictators like Adolph Hitler, Joseph Stalin, and Saddam Hussein all outlawed their gatherings. Many religions forbid their members to join the Masons, and terrible accusations have been made against members of the fraternity, charging them with assassinations, conspiracies, attempts at world domination, and other evil crimes. Millions of men the world over have joined the Freemasons, yet even today, some countries threaten Masons with fines, imprisonment, or even death.
Yet, in almost every country of the world, every week, hundreds of thousands of men slip on jackets and ties; reverently fasten small, white aprons around their waists; and enter the confines of windowless lodge rooms. There they escape the outside world for a few hours and replace it with the comfort of friendship combined with ritual ceremonies from centuries ago.
What is it about this self-described fraternal and benevolent organization that evokes such opposite reactions? Is Freemasonry a mythic mass of mind-expanding, magical, mystical manifestations? An evil organization for socioeconomic pirates? Or just a hot hand of euchre and a fish fry? In this chapter, I give you a brief overview of what Freemasonry really is, where it came from, and what Masons do.
What Is Freemasonry?
Freemasons don't always do such a good job of defining just what they are or what they do, but that's often because the answers non-Masons are looking for are really too complicated. Freemasonry (or just plain Masonry, for short) is a society of gentlemen concerned with moral and spiritual values, and one of the world's oldest and most popular fraternal organizations.
Freemasonry is perhaps the most misunderstood, yet popular, "secret society" the world has ever known. And the most visible one. Every state in the United States and almost every country in the world has a Grand Lodge of Freemasons, and each has its own Web site. Freemasons wear rings, jackets, and hats emblazoned with the square and compass on them. Their cars often have Masonic license plates and bumper stickers identifying them. Masonic buildings are clearly marked, and their addresses and phone numbers are in the Yellow Pages. Some Grand Lodges have even started advertising on billboards. If the Freemasons are a secret, they need a refresher course on camouflage.
REMEMBER
No simple, one-line definition satisfactorily describes what Freemasonry is. It is a philosophy and a system of morality and ethics - and a pretty basic one at that - but these are the main points that make Freemasonry different from any other organization:
What Masons Do
Lodges have regular meetings throughout the year. Most meet once a month for a business meeting, where communications are read, bills are paid, new members are voted on, and the members catch up on each other's lives. Often, guest speakers are invited, or a member will give a presentation on the ritual, history, philosophy, or symbols of Freemasonry.
Other special meetings are held to initiate new members and perform the various ceremonies to advance them to full membership. And because the primary goal of Freemasonry is fraternalism, a meal is usually served before or after the meeting, either in the lodge building or at a nearby restaurant.
Modern Freemasonry started out by gathering in taverns over a nice dinner, and Masons have spent 300 years obsessing on the importance of the culinary arts. Their feasts are called Festive Boards (from the days when board meant "table"), and a tradition of many of these gatherings is a series of ceremonial toasts.
Still, the mission of the Masonic lodge is to make new Masons, and that is done by conferring degrees.
The three degrees
REMEMBER
The ceremonies a new member must go through are called degrees. There are three of them - Entered Apprentice, Fellow Craft, and Master Mason - and they are based upon the levels of membership in the old medieval craft guilds. The ceremonies are based upon rituals that are centuries old - rituals that were used by those guilds.
Today, modern Freemasons have retained much of these degree ceremonies, including lots of fancy, old-fashioned language. They share these characteristics:
Lodges, blue lodges, craft lodges, and more
The lodge is the most basic unit of Freemasonry. It is a term used for the individual chapter, for a collected group of Masons who meet together, for the room they meet in, and sometimes even for the building in which they gather. Several individual lodges can share facilities and meet at different times in the same lodge room. This is, in fact, the norm in larger cities. In smaller communities, or in the case of a very prosperous lodge, just one lodge may occupy the building.
In this book, I sometimes refer to the blue lodge. (I explain why it's "blue" in Chapter 7.) Other terms you'll see are symbolic lodge, craft lodge, and Ancient Craft Masonry. These are all various terms to describe the first, most essential starting point in the world of Freemasonry: the local, neighborhood lodge that confers the first three degrees of Masonry - the Entered Apprentice, Fellow Craft, and Master Mason degrees.
Masons sometimes refer to Freemasonry as the Craft, because its origins are the medieval craft guilds. They most definitely are not referring to witchcraft.
Freemasonry has many different branches of membership and study. These branches or groups are called appendant or concordant bodies, and I talk a lot more about them in Part III. You may have had a relative or a friend who said he was a 32nd-degree Mason or even a 33rd-degree Mason. Those additional degrees do exist, and they're confusing, so I explain them in Part IV as well. But the truth is that there is no degree in what is referred to as Ancient Craft Masonry higher or more important than the three degrees a man receives in a Masonic lodge. These other degrees may have higher numbers than the first three conferred in a lodge, but they're simply different, additional ceremonies, and are in no way meant to be construed as more important or superior to becoming a Master Mason.
The public ceremonies of Freemasons
Most of the ceremonies of the Masons go on inside the confines of the lodge, but there are two special Masonic events that you may have seen in public. These public ceremonies are symbolic of beginning and ending.
Cornerstone ceremonies
Because of their heritage as builders of cathedrals and other public structures, the Freemasons have historically performed a special ceremony at the laying of cornerstones for new buildings, upon request. In modern times, these events are barely noticed by the public, but in previous centuries, the laying of a cornerstone for a new building was a very big, festive celebration. In the case of a courthouse, city hall, or other major government building, parades were often held, speeches were given, and the Freemasons would symbolically lay the cornerstone.
In the Masonic cornerstone ceremony, the stone is checked using ancient tools to be certain it is square, plumb (straight), and level, because a building constructed on a poor foundation will not be strong. Next, the cornerstone is consecrated with corn (or grain), wine, and oil - all of which are Masonic symbols of prosperity, health, and peace. Finally, the stone is symbolically tapped in place with a gavel.
Funeral services
The first way many people come into contact with Freemasonry these days is at the funeral of a friend or relative who was a Freemason. Masons perform a solemn memorial service for their members, when the family requests it. The words of the ceremony provide a brief glimpse into the beliefs of the fraternity; it's a moving and deeply meaningful service. Many men, myself included, have sought membership in a lodge after seeing the funeral service performed for a loved one.
Real men wear aprons!
Yes, it's true: Grown men wearing little rectangular aprons are de rigueur fashion for the properly dressed Freemason. The aprons are symbolic of those worn by ancient stonemasons to protect their clothing and to carry their tools. Although aprons worn by many Masons are made of simple white cloth, they're traditionally supposed to be made of white lambskin, as an emblem of innocence. Some Masonic aprons are very ornate. They may be decorated to denote an officer's position, a place of honor such as a former Master of a lodge, or just simply a cool design. The Mason's apron is the first gift given to him upon his initiation into the lodge, and it is to be kept clean and spotless throughout the Mason's life as a symbol of the purity of his thoughts and actions.
REMEMBER
Masons wear their aprons in a specific manner, according to the degree they have attained. Nobody - with the exception of an uninitiated candidate - gets into a lodge without an apron.
A "secret society"
Masons like to say that Freemasonry is not a secret society; rather, it is a society with secrets. A better way to put it is that what goes on in a lodge room during its ceremonies is private.
For a lot of years, fathers, grandfathers, and neighbors baffled young men who were interested in joining the fraternity by refusing to discuss anything about it, out of a fundamental misunderstanding about Masonic "secrecy." They figured they weren't allowed to tell anything about it. "Join and you'll see," was their standard answer. Fortunately, that perception is changing, and Freemasons are not so squeamish these days about talking about Masonry.
The secrets that a Mason may not discuss are the grips (handshakes), passwords, and signs (gestures) that are modes of recognition, and some details of the Masonic degree ritual ceremonies. Undoubtedly, there are still old-school Masons out there who will read something in this book and believe that I should be driven to the state line in a trunk for daring to talk about it, but they should chat with their Grand Lodge before calling to check my measurements.
Just knowing the modes of recognition won't get you into a Masonic lodge. If you're interested in becoming a Mason, don't let some big mouth in a book or on the Internet ruin the ritual experience for you by blurting out all the surprises. If you aren't interested in joining and you just want to be able to gloat about knowing some secret information, there is no shortage of books and Web sites that tell them all. You can leap into a gathering of Masons screaming "A-ha!" and blurt out a password if you like, but the real secret of Freemasonry has to be experienced, not explained, which is why your little stunt will be ignored.
So is it a charity? A church? A social club?
Masonry is as diverse as its members, and so it can seem like something very different depending on whom you talk to or the lodge you visit or join.
Some Masons concentrate on the many charities the fraternity participates in. Some are consumed by the history or the philosophy or the symbolism of the fraternity. Others consider it to be primarily a place to go to play cards or cook a monthly breakfast, in order to be with old friends and make new ones. Still others enjoy performing the ritual ceremonies and make a lifelong passion of taking dramatic parts in it.
For men who become lodge officers or members of committees, Masonry is a personal development course, where they learn leadership skills, public speaking, and more. Men from every walk of life have the opportunity to do things in a lodge, often things that their job or their social or economic status would rarely have offered them. And then some men just like high-sounding titles, badges, ribbons, tuxedos, and spiffy accoutrements. The point is that there is something in Freemasonry for every man, whatever his interests may be.
Are [Fill in the Blank] Freemasons, Too?
Because Freemasons are an eclectic mix of men from all walks of life, other Masonic organizations have developed over the years to enlarge upon the lodge experience. They all require someone to be a member of a lodge as a third-degree Master Mason before that person can join them. They are collectively known as appendant bodies, and the list is almost endless.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Freemasons For Dummies by Christopher Hodapp Excerpted by permission.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
About This Book 2
Foolish Assumptions 4
Icons Used in This Book 5
Beyond the Book 6
Where to Go from Here 6
Part 1: What is Freemasonry? 7
Chapter 1: Lodges, Aprons, and Funny Handshakes: Freemasonry 101 9
What Is Freemasonry? 11
What Do Masons Do? 12
Conferring the three degrees 12
Meeting in lodges, blue lodges, craft lodges, and more 13
Wearing aprons (Real men do it!) 14
Keeping “secrets” 15
Performing public ceremonies 16
Providing something for everyone 17
Are [Fill in the Blank] Freemasons, Too? 17
Chapter 2: From Cathedrals to Lodge Rooms: A History of the Freemasons 21
Turning Stonecutters into Gentlemen: Freemasonry before 1700 22
Operative Masons: The great builders 22
Speculative Masons and the big change 29
Building Men: The 1700s 32
Founding the first Grand Lodge 32
Establishing Masonry in America 39
Finding favor and persecution during and after the French Revolution 44
Growing, Changing, and Branching Out: The 1800s 45
Reuniting Antients and Moderns 46
Spreading throughout America 46
Surviving and Surging: The 1900s 52
Relieving social concerns in the early 1900s 53
Being cast as villains and heroes in World War II 53
Growing again post-war 54
Declining in the ’60s 54
Experiencing the 21st Century: More Changes on the Way 55
The Internet 56
Masonic podcasts 56
Popular culture 57
Changes in Masonic practices 57
Traditional Observance lodges 58
University lodges 58
What’s next? 59
Chapter 3: The Philosophy of Freemasonry 61
Defining What Masons Believe In 62
Promoting brotherly love, relief, and truth 62
Adhering to basic principles 64
Establishing a New World Order? 67
Experiencing Mystic Masonry 68
Connecting members through a mystic tie 69
Expressing concepts through symbolism 69
Chapter 4: Politics, Religion, and Freemasons: They Don’t Mix 71
Exploring the History of Religion and the Masons 72
Bringing limited religion into the lodge 73
Examining the history of Freemasonry and Catholicism 75
Pairing Freemasons and Protestants peacefully (mostly) 79
Bridging great divides: Freemasonry and Judaism 81
Finding conflict between Freemasonry and Islam (where none exists) 84
Refusing to Play Politics 86
Placing Freemasonry amid the political turmoil of 18th-century Europe 87
Sparking anarchy in French lodges 87
Surviving the revolution 89
Enduring the rule of dictators 92
Continuing to weather distrust 95
Maintaining brotherhood during war 96
Part 2: The Inner Workings of Freemasonry 99
Chapter 5: How the Freemasons Are Organized: Who Does What and Why 101
What’s Inside the Lodge? 102
Examining the lodge room 103
Meeting and eating at the lodge 104
Who’s in Charge around Here? 105
Officers in the progressive line 106
Officers not in the progressive line 111
What Makes a Grand Lodge So, Well, Grand? 116
The Grand Master 117
The rules 118
What Is a Regular, Recognized Lodge? 119
Which one’s legit? Sorting through multiple Grand Lodges 120
Irregular, unrecognized, and all over the place: Lodges out of the mainstream 123
Chapter 6: The Ceremonies of Freemasons 131
Understanding Where Masonic Ritual Comes From 132
The historical medieval guild rituals 133
The written account 137
Performing the Rituals of the Modern Lodge 139
Setting the stage for the ritual 139
Entered Apprentice: Initiation and youth 141
Fellow Craft: Passing through manhood 143
Master Mason: Raising, age, and death 144
Movin’ on up! 145
Chapter 7: The Symbols of Freemasonry 147
Symbolizing the Lessons of Freemasonry 148
Deciphering the Key Masonic Ideas 149
The number three 150
Tracing boards: 18th-century PowerPoint 150
Solomon’s Temple 151
Square and compass(es) 155
Explaining More Masonic Symbols 156
Scythe and hourglass 156
The 47th Problem of Euclid or the Pythagorean theorem 156
Jacob’s ladder 157
Anchor and ark 157
Sun, eye, Moon, and stars 157
Lamb and lambskin apron 158
Slipper 158
Point within a circle and parallel lines 159
Pot of incense 160
Beehive 160
Plumb 161
Level 161
Letter G 162
Five-pointed star 163
Naked heart and sword 164
Tyler’s sword and the Book of Constitutions 165
Trowel 165
Handshake 165
Rough and perfect (or smooth) ashlars 165
Pillars 166
24-inch gauge and the common gavel 167
The shovel, setting maul, coffin, and sprig of acacia 167
Chapter 8: Myths and Misconceptions about Masons 169
Digging to the Root of Freemasonry Misunderstandings 170
Debunking Common Myths about Freemasonry 171
Riding the lodge goat 171
Keeping an eye on you with the all-seeing eye and the U.S $1 bill 172
Reading a Masonic bible 173
Worshipping strange gods 174
Pairing up Pike and Lucifer 178
Taking over the world 180
Breaking the law 181
Part 3: When One Lodge isn’t Enough: The Appendant Bodies 183
Chapter 9: Introducing the Appendant Bodies: Who’s Who, and Who Isn’t 185
What Are Appendant Bodies? 187
Concordant bodies 187
Appendant bodies 190
What About These Other Groups? 192
Animal lodges 193
Service clubs 194
Other unrelated fraternal groups 196
Masonic-sounding groups 199
Chapter 10: The York Rite 203
The York Rite System 204
Why York? 205
How it’s organized 205
Royal Arch Masonry 207
Mark Master 208
Past Master 208
Most Excellent Master 210
Royal Arch 210
The Cryptic Rite 210
Chivalric Masonry and the Knights Templar 212
The chivalric orders 213
A crash course in Templar history 215
Other York Rite Bodies 222
York Rite College 222
Knight Masons 222
Allied Masonic Degrees 223
Societas Rosicruciana in Civitatibus Foederatis (SRICF) 223
Holy Royal Arch Knight Templar Priests 225
Knights of the York Cross of Honour 225
Red Cross of Constantine 225
St Thomas of Acon 225
The Operatives 226
The Masonic Order of Athelstan in England, Wales, and Its Provinces Overseas 226
York Rite Charities 227
Chapter 11: The Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite 229
Surveying the Scottish Rite System 231
Organization: Meeting the departments that confer degrees 231
Membership: Earning degrees in the Scottish Rite 232
Presentation: Raising the curtain and lighting the lights 234
Tracing the Scottish Rite’s Origins 236
France: Freemasonry’s foundry furnace 236
The Americas: The Scottish Rite’s real home 237
Introducing Albert Pike: Sage of the Scottish Rite 238
Pike’s life outside of Masonry 239
Discovering Freemasonry 239
Writing and revising rituals, morals, and dogma 242
Putting Pike in perspective 242
Listing the Degrees of the Scottish Rite 244
The Southern Jurisdiction degrees 244
The Northern Masonic Jurisdiction degrees 246
Serving Communities through Charitable Work 247
Chapter 12: Shriners International 249
Getting to Know the Shriners 250
Tracing the History from Partiers to Philanthropists 250
The Knickerbocker boys start the fun 251
So why the goofy hats? 251
The first growth of the Shrine 252
Polio and the first Shrine hospital 252
Depression and growth 253
Greatest philanthropy in the world 253
Putting a Little of the Boy Back in the Man 255
Getting initiated 255
Gathering at the oasis 255
Forming units to suit every Shriner 256
Having fun in little cars 257
Considering the Shrine’s Place in Freemasonry 258
Chapter 13: The Extended Masonic Family 261
Bringing Women into the Lodge 262
The Order of the Eastern Star 262
The Order of the Amaranth 267
The White Shrine of Jerusalem 268
The Social Order of the Beauceant 269
Not Just Kidding Around: The Youth Groups 270
DeMolay International for boys 270
The International Order of the Rainbow for Girls 271
Job’s Daughters 273
Checking Out Lesser-Known Masonic Groups 274
The Mystic Order of the Veiled Prophets of the Enchanted Realm of North America 274
The Ancient Egyptian Order of SCIOTS 275
The Tall Cedars of Lebanon of North America 275
National Sojourners 276
High Twelve International 277
Widows Sons 277
Investigating Masonic Research Societies 278
Quatuor Coronati Lodge No 2076 278
Philalethes Society 279
Phylaxis Society 279
Scottish Rite Research Society 279
The Masonic Society 280
Lodges of research 280
Part 4: Freemasonry Today and Tomorrow 281
Chapter 14: Why Freemasonry is Still Relevant 283
A Breakdown in Community 284
Isolating individuals 285
Disconnecting from each other 285
Getting shortchanged in social capital 286
Where Freemasonry Fits In 287
Making good men better ones 288
Providing something for everybody 289
Supporting brotherly love 289
Involving people in charitable work 291
Practicing religious tolerance 291
Giving comfort through constancy 292
Chapter 15: Freemasons and the Future 295
Speculating on the Future of the Craft 297
One-day classes 297
Advertising and Masonry’s public image 298
Paying your dues 299
Going Back to the Future 300
Reducing Masonic real estate 301
Growing the Observant-style lodge movement 302
Returning to old ways 303
Exploring ancient lessons with new technology 303
“Masoning” on the Internet 304
Freemasonry online 304
Blurring the concepts of recognition 305
Contending with anti-social social media 305
Chapter 16: So You Want to Become a Freemason 307
Examining Why Men Become Masons 308
What’s in it for you 308
Hearing from Masons themselves 309
Why I joined 310
To Be One, Ask One 312
Finding a Freemason 312
Finding a lodge 313
Joining a Lodge 314
Qualifying for membership 314
Petitioning to join the lodge 315
Being investigated 316
Balloting 316
Scheduling your degree ceremonies 318
Being welcomed as a Brother 318
Part 5: The Part of Tens 321
Chapter 17: Ten Groups of Famous Masons 323
Founding Fathers 323
Explorers and Adventurers 325
Pioneers of Science and Medicine 326
Actors and Entertainers 326
Incredible Athletes 327
Military Leaders 328
Significant Businessmen 329
Players in the World of Statecraft 329
U.S Civil Rights Leaders 330
Men of Arts and Letters 331
Chapter 18: Ten Amazing Conspiracies, Anti-Masons, and Hoaxes 333
Leo Taxil and the Great Hoax! 333
The Illuminati! 335
Trilats, CFRs, and Bilderbergers, Oh My! 336
The Secret 33rd Degree! 338
Jack the Ripper: A Freemason! 338
The Italian P2 Lodge Scandal! 340
Washington, D.C., Is Satan’s Road Map! 341
Aleister Crowley, Satanist and Freemason! 342
Freemasons Founded the Nazis! 343
Masonic Cops! Masonic Judges! 344
Chapter 19: Ten Cool Masonic Places 347
George Washington Masonic National Memorial (Alexandria, Virginia) 348
House of the Temple (Washington, D.C.) 348
Freemason’s Hall (Philadelphia) 349
Masonic Temple (Detroit) 349
Grand Lodge of New York Masonic Hall (New York City) 350
Scottish Rite Cathedral (Indianapolis) 350
Freemason Hall (London) 350
Templar Church (London) 351
Rosslyn Chapel (Roslin, Scotland) 351
Musée de la Francmaçonnerie and other Masonic sites (Paris) 351
Part 6: Appendixes 353
Appendix A: The Regius Manuscript 355
A Poem of Moral Duties 356
Appendix B: Anderson’s Constitutions 379
The Charges Of A Free Mason 379
i Concerning God And Religion 380
ii Of The Civil Magistrate Supreme And Subordinate 380
iii Of Lodges 381
iv Of Masters, Wardens, Fellows, And Apprentices 381
v Of The Management Of The Craft In Working 382
vi Of Behavior 383
Appendix C: Finding a Lodge 387
Mainstream U.S Grand Lodges 387
Prince Hall Grand Lodges 391
Canadian Grand Lodges 394
Index 397
"...a delight; no masonic prudery here, no academic dry ... simple readable style that encourages one to read on...great value..." (The Square, March 2006)
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