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Alphabetically Arranged with
Cyclopedic Meanings and Bible References
The Masonic system exhibits a stupendous and
beautiful fabric founded on universal piety. To rule and direct our
passion, to have faith and hope in God, and charity towards man, I consider as
the objects of what is termed Speculative Masonry. 1 Tim. 5:4 Mark
11:22 Psalms 146:5
or reverse surface of a badge, coin or medallion.
An exact copy
or reproduction. A synonymous term is replica.
- trust, reliance
theological ladder, the explanation of which forms a part of the ritual of the
First Degree in Masonry, faith, is said to typify the lowest
round. Faith, here, is synonymous with confidence or trust,
and hence we find merely a repetition of the lesson which had been previously
taught that the first, the essential qualification of a candidate for
initiation, is that he should trust in God. In the lecture of the
same degree, it is said that "Faith may be lost in sight; Hope ends in
fruition; but Charity extends beyond the grave, through the boundless realms
of eternity." And this is said, because as faith is "the
evidence of things not seen," when we see we no longer believe by faith
but through demonstration; and as hope lives only in the expectation of
possession, it ceases to exist when the object once hoped for is at length
enjoyed, but charity, exercised on earth in acts of mutual kindness and
forbearance, is still found in the world to come. EXAMPLE
Heb. 11:6 - Rom. 10:9,10 - Acts 15:8,9
- steadfast; sincere
required of all Masons that they be steadfast in keeping the vows of the
Order, that they be sincere in the practice of all the virtues taught by the
ritual, symbols, and lectures of the various Degrees, and that they maintain
unflinching loyalty to the Fraternity. A faithful servant is one who
keeps his vows, who is diligent in his stewardship, dutiful to his master, and
loyal in the face of trial and temptation... Eccl. 5:4,5
- Deut. 7:9 - 1 Kings 8:56 - Matt. 25:14-23 - Luke
is a copy of an original, properly marked with the maker's name, or the
current proper hallmarks. It is up to the buyer to check the
marks. These may become fakes when the marks are rubbed and distorted
and the vendor attempts to pass an item off as being of earlier vintage.
Reproductions abound, some with copies of the original marks, or lacking any
marks at all. Fakes in silver are designed to resemble old style
artifacts, but have not been copied from an original. Enameled fakes are
usually done using an original, and either re-enameling the original enamel
cavity, or enameling a perfectly good side of a plain object. In either
case, the original hallmarks remain intact and the result convincing. A
few good articles have been published that are very helpful, but mostly it is
a matter of experience and Buyer Beware.
Fatherhood of God
teaches that man is the offspring of God by creation, that God made mankind of
one blood, and that God's fatherly love for man finds its greatest expression
in his redemptive plan for fallen humanity... Gen.
1:26-28 - Gen. 2:7 - Psalms 103:13 - 2 Cor. 1:3 - Heb.
Shall Be In The Way
Refers to old age, childishness,
nervous and easily excited. Eccles. 12:5
of the Craft together at an annual feast, for the laudable purpose of
promoting social feelings, and cementing the bonds of brotherly love by the
interchange of courtesies, is a time-honored custom, which is unfortunately
growing into disuse. The Assembly and Feast are words
constantly co-joined in the Book of Constitutions. At this
meeting, no business of any kind, except the installation of officers, was
transacted, and the day was passed in innocent festivity. The election
of officers always took place at a previous meeting, in obedience to a
regulation adopted by the Grand Lodge of England, in 1720, as follows:
"It was agreed, in order to avoid disputes on the annual feast-day, that
the new Grand Master for the future shall be named and proposed to the Grand
Lodge some time before the feast" (See Constitutions, 1738,
page 111). Biblical examples of social feasts and festivities...
Matt. 9:9,10 - John 12:1,2
Feeling is that
sense by which we are enabled to distinguish the different qualities of
bodies, such as hardness and softness, heat and cold, roughness and
smoothness, figure, solidity, motion, and extension, all of which, by means of
corresponding sensations of touch, are presented to the mind as real external
qualities, and the conception or belief of them invariably connected with
these corresponding sensations by an original principle of nature, which far
transcends our inquiry.
Degree of Freemasonry in all the Rites is that of the
In the French it is called Compagno; in Spanish, Compañero; in
Italian, Compagno; and in German, Gesell; in all of which the
radical meaning of the word is a fellow workman, thus showing the origin of
the title from an operative institution. Like the Degree of Apprentice,
it is only preparatory in the higher initiation of the Master; and yet it
differs essentially from it in its symbolism. For, as the First Degree
was typical of youth, the Second is supposed to represent the stage of
manhood, and hence the acquisition of science is made its prominent
characteristic. While the former is directed in all its symbols and
allegorical ceremonies to the purification of the heart, the latter is
intended by its lessons to train the reasoning faculties and improve the
intellectual powers. Before the eighteenth century, the great Body of
the Fraternity consisted of Fellow Crafts, who are designated in all the old
manuscripts as Fellows. The Biblical significance of
fellow and fellowship to be practiced by Masons...
Eph. 2:19 - Col. 4:11 - 1 John 1:7
landmarks of Speculative Masonry peremptorily exclude women from having
conferred upon them the mysteries of the Order, there are now jurisdictions
which regularly initiate women to the sublime degree of a Master Mason and
here for a description of these Orders.
Mauchline, Scotland, by William Smith between 1872 and ca. 1920. Originally
the fern leaves were pinned to a box and painted over with a dark color; the
pins were removed, the holes filled, and the fern markings painted in; the box
was then lacquered with a lighter color.
Fervency as a
Masonic virtue is emphasized in the lecture of the First Degree; it is
symbolized by charcoal because all metals may be dissolved by the ignited
charcoal. Subsequently fervor and zeal are symbolized by the color
scarlet, the appropriate tincture of Royal Arch Masonry. Biblical
emphasis upon fervor and zeal in adherence to truth and in works of
beneficence... Gal. 4:18 - Titus 2:14 - Isa. 59:17
of St. John
What are the
dates of the Festival of St. John? The 24th of June is consecrated to
St. John the Baptist, and the 27th of December to St. John the
Evangelist. It is the duty of Masons to assemble on these days, and by
solemn invocation of the past, renew the ties and strengthen the fraternal
bonds that bind the present to the brotherhood of the olden time.
1:57 Matt. 4:21
LUX ET LUX FIT
A Latin motto
frequently written Sit Lux et Lux Fuit, referring to Genesis 1:3,
"Let there be light, and there was light. Often seen on early
English Sunderland Lustre Ware. EXAMPLE
instruction of the First Degree, it is said that "our ancient Brethren
worshipped deity under the name of Fides or Fidelity, which was sometimes
represented by two right hands joined, and sometimes by two human figures
holding each other by the right hands." The deity here
referred to was the goddess Fides, to whom Numa first erected temples, and
whose priests were covered by a white veil as a symbol of purity which should
characterize Fidelity. No victims were slain on her altars, and no
offerings made to her except flowers, wine, and incense. Her statues
were represented clothed in white mantles, with a key in her hand and a dog at
her feet. The virtue of Fidelity is, however, frequently symbolized in
ancient medals by a heart
in an open hand, but more usually by two right hands clasped. EXAMPLE
"FIDES" is often (and
wrongly) translated 'faith.' For the Romans,
FIDES was an essential element in the character of a man of public affairs,
and a necessary constituent element of all social and political transactions
(perhaps = 'good faith' or 'fidelity'). FIDES meant 'reliability', a sense of
trust between two parties if a relationship between them was to exist. FIDES
was always reciprocal and mutual, and implied both privileges and
responsibilities on both sides. In both public and private life the violation
of FIDES was
considered a serious matter, with both legal and religious consequences.
FIDES, in fact, was one of the first of the 'virtues' to be considered an
actual divinity at Rome.
surface of a badge, coin or medallion surrounding and between the bust,
inscription, and other parts of the raised design.
A Lodge duly
instituted under proper authority from a grand body of competent jurisdiction,
and authorized to exercise during its peripatetic existence all the powers and
privileges that it might possess if permanently located. Charters of
this nature, as the name implies, are intended for the tented field, and have
been of the greatest service to humanity in its trying hours, when the worst
of passions are appealed to.
term used to describe fancy type artifacts in many forms that represent some
form of object, animal or part thereof, human or part thereof, marine
creature, bird, insect, vegetable form, or everyday object. Often called
"Novelties" (but the same term has also been applied in the
contemporary literature to other forms of antiques), or "Figural"
which is a term in geometry and misused here.
gold or silver wire used to make delicate patterns resembling lace. EXAMPLE
than 999/1000 pure. It is too soft for practical fabrication; used mainly in
the form of anodes or sheets for plating.
What is the first Landmark of Masonry? The modes of recognition are, of
all the landmarks, the most legitimate and unquestioned. They admit no
variation; and if they have suffered alteration or addition, the evil of such
a violation of the ancient law has always made itself subsequently manifest.
The fact that they can never be changed.
was the first Master Craftsman? It is recorded in Genesis that Tubalcain
was the first Master Craftsman.
the Pythagoreans five was a mystical number, because it was formed by
the union of the first even number and the first odd, rejecting unity; hence
it symbolized the mixed conditions of order and disorder, happiness and
misfortune, life and death. The same union of the odd and even or male
and female, numbers made it the symbol of marriage. Among the Greeks it
was a symbol of the world, because says Diodorus, it represents ether and the
four elements. It was a sacred and round number among the Hebrews.
In Egypt, India, and other oriental nations says Gesenius, the five minor
planets and the five elementary powers were accounted sacred. It was the
pentas of the Gnostics and the Hermetic Philosophers; it was a symbol of their
quintessence, the fifth or highest essence of power in a natural body.
In Freemasonry, five is a sacred number, inferior only in importance to three
and seven. It is especially significant in the Fellowcraft Degree, where
five are required to hold a Lodge, and where, in the winding stairs, the five
steps are referred to the orders of architecture and the human senses.
In the Third Degree we find the reference to the five points of fellowship and
their symbol, the five-pointed star. Geometry, too, which is deemed
synonymous with Freemasonry, is called the fifth science; and, in fact,
throughout nearly all the Degrees of Freemasonry, we find abundant allusions
to five as a sacred and mystical number.
five-pointed star, which is not to be confounded with the blazing star, is not
found among the old symbols of Masonry; indeed, some writers have denied that
it is a Masonic emblem at all. It is undoubtedly of recent origin, and
was probably introduced by Jeremy Cross, who placed it among the plates in the
emblems of the Third Degree prefixed to his Hieroglyphic Chart.
It is not mentioned in the ritual or the lecture of the Third Degree, but the
Masons of this country have, by tacit consent, referred to it as a symbol of
the Five Points of Fellowship. The outlines of the five-pointed star are
the same as those of the pentalpha of Pythagoras, which was the symbol of
health. M. Jormard, in his Description de l'Egypte (tom. viii.,
p. 423), says that the star engraved on Eqyptian monuments, where it is a very
common hieroglyphic, has constantly five points, never more or less.
five senses of Hearing, Seeing, Feeling, Tasting, and Smelling, are introduced
into the lecture of the Fellowcraft as a part of the instructions of that
Degree. As these senses are the avenues by which the mind receives its
perceptions of things exterior to it, and thus becomes the storehouse of
ideas, they are most appropriately referred to that Degree of Freemasonry
whose professed object is the pursuit and acquisition of knowledge.
sword whose blade is of a spiral or twisted form is called by the heralds a flaming
sword, from its resemblance to the ascending curvature of a flame of
fire. Until very recently, this was the form of the Tiler's sword.
Carelessness or ignorance has now in many Lodges substituted for it a common
sword of any form. The flaming sword of the Tiler refers to the flaming
sword which guarded the entrance to Paradise, as described in Genesis
3:24: "So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the
garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep
the way of the tree of life." It is more commonly seen now as a
symbol in the emblem of the Scottish Rite where the flaming sword is
held in the talons of the double-headed eagle.
is the jewelers mark for the city of Verdun, France. The term means
"flower of light." The fleur-de-lis is the French symbol of
life and power, and is designed from nature's Iris. This symbol is found
on many Victorian, Edwardian, and Art Nouveau pieces and has been carried out
in modern designs as well. It is also symbolic of the Virgin Mary.
The origin of the fleur-de-lis is obscure, although it can be traced as far
back as ancient Egypt. Among the sources that have been suggested for
its design are the lily flower, bee, frog, and male genitalia. A
synonymous term is Bourbon lily.
Flight to Joppa
refers to the flight of Jonah in his effort to escape a responsible assignment
made by God. It is employed with very striking significance in the
Masonic Ritual. Jonah's effort to flee to Joppa can be found in
floor of a properly constructed Lodge-room should be covered with alternate
squares of black and white, to represent the Mosaic pavement which was the
ground floor of King Solomon's Temple.
framework of board or canvas, on which the emblems of any particular Degree
are inscribed, for the assistance of the Master in giving a lecture. It
is so called because formerly it was the custom to inscribe these designs on
the floor of the Lodge-room in chalk, which were wiped out when the Lodge was
clothed. It is the same as the Carpet, or Tracing-Board.
Corner-stone. To level the Footstone means to lay the
Corner-stone. Thus, Dr. George Oliver says "Solomon was enabled
to level the footstone of the Temple in the fourth year of his reign."
of the Jordan
At one of the
fords of the Jordan at a point where the river is about 80 feet wide and where
approaches to the water's edge are hedged in with almost impassable dense
growths on the banks there was a great slaughter of Ephraimites who sought to
flee just apprehension for their revolt against the national hero Gideon.
They were detected by their inability to pronounce the word Shibboleth.
This incident is significantly referred to in the Fellow-Craft Degree.
For a Biblical record of the incident see... Judges
Thousands have heard
this expression, without dreaming if its hidden and spiritual meaning, or if
they think of any meaning at all, they content themselves by interpreting it
as referring to the actual travels of Masons after the completion of the
temple, into the surrounding country in search of employment, whose wages were
to be gold and silver which they could earn by the exercise of their skill in
the operative art. But the true symbolic meaning of the foreign country
into which the Master Mason is to travel is far different. The symbolism
of this life terminates with the Master's degree. The completion of that
degree is a lesson of death and the resurrection to a future life.
Heaven, the higher state of existence after death is the Foreign Country,
where the true word, or divine truth, not given in this, is to be received,
and where the Master Mason is to enter, and there he is to receive his wages
in the reception of that truth which can be imparted only in that better
land. 2 Cor. 5:1
English sterling, is sometimes of uncertain silver content, in some instances
running considerably below the coin standard. The fineness is often
stamped on the article. In the Scandinavian countries and Germany solid
silver tableware 830/1000 fine has been standardized and the stamp
"830" signifies this silver content.
shaping of metal by heating and hammering.
Freemasonry, an official act is said to be done, according to the rank of the
person who does it, either in ample form, in due form, or simply
in form. Thus, when the Grand Lodge is opened by the Grand Master
in person, it is said to be opened in ample form; when by the Deputy
Grand Master, it is said to be in due form; when by any other qualified
officer, it is said to be in form. The legality of the act is the
same whether it be done in form or in ample form; and the expression refers
only to the dignity of the officer by whom the act is performed. The
terms Ample and Due Form appear to have been introduced by
Anderson in the 1738 edition of the Constitutions (page 110).
of the Lodge
form of a Freemason's Lodge is said to be an oblong square, having the
greatest length from east to west, and thus its greatest breadth from north to
south. This oblong form of the Lodge, has, as Brother Mackey thought, a
symbolic illusion that has not been averted to by any other writer. If,
on a map of the world, we draw lines which shall circumscribe just that
portion which was known and inhabited at the time of the building of Solomon's
Temple, these lines, running a short distance north and south of the
Mediterranean Sea, and extending from Spain to Asia Minor, will form an oblong
square, whose greatest length will be from east to west, and whose greatest
breadth will be from north to south. There is a peculiar fitness in this
theory, which is really only making the Masonic Lodge a symbol of the
world. It must be remembered that, at the era of the Temple, the earth
was supposed to have the form of a parallelogram, or oblong square.
This is one of the four cardinal virtues whose excellencies are dilated on in
the First Degree. Certain ceremonies based upon the Three Hebrews in the
fiery furnace and upon Daniel in the lions' den emphasize the truth that
genuine fortitude cannot be shaken by dangers nor dissolved by suffering, and
finds its greatest manifestation in refusal to "deny the faith" under the
severest persecutions and trials. By fortitude, Masons are taught to resist temptation, and encounter danger with spirit
and resolution. This virtue is equally distant from rashness and
cowardice; and he who posses it is seldom shaken, and never overthrown, by the
storms that surround him. EXAMPLE
Incidents in the Bible on which ceremonies teaching the duty of genuine
fortitude are based... Dan.
3:1-30 - Dan. 6:1-28
Problem of Euclid
"Forty-Seventh Problem of Euclid's" first book of Geometry contained
a mathematical theorem so complex that when Pythagoras solved the problem he
exclaimed; "Eureka" which signifies "I have found it"!
It has been adopted as a symbol of a Past Master. It teaches Masons to
be general lovers of the arts and sciences. See
is said to be foul when, in a ballot for the initiation or advancement
of a candidate, one or more black balls (cubes) are found in it.
masons engaged in the building of King Solomon's Temple laid deep and solid
the foundations of that notable structure; so strong were these foundations
that in utter destruction of the temple by Nebuchadnezzar, the foundation
stones remained intact. Hence, Speculative Masonry stresses the
necessity for a firm and solid foundation in the building of character.
Luke 21:5 - Eph. 2:20 - 2 Tim. 2:19 -
1 Kings 5:7,8
Latin, meaning Brother.
An expression borrowed from the monks by the Military Orders of the Middle
Ages, and applied by the members to the Masonic Knights Templar, and is
beginning to be adopted, although not as generally, in the United
States. When speaking of two or more, it is an error to call them Fraters.
The correct plural is Fratres.
records the usual mode of subscription to letters in his day written by one
Freemason to another as, "I remain, fraternally, yours," custom and
preference that continues to be frequently adopted.
The word was
originally used to designate those associations formed in the Roman Catholic
Church for the pursuit of special religious and ecclesiastical purposes, such
as nursing of the sick, the support of the poor, and the practice of the
particular devotions, etc. They do not date earlier than the thirteenth
century. The name was subsequently applied to secular associations, such
as the Freemasons. The word is only a Latin form of the Anglo-Saxon Brotherhood.
does the word Free signify, when connected to Freemasonry?
A. Not bound,
not in captivity, The word "Free" in connection with
"Mason" originally signified that the persons so called were free of
the company of Guild or incorporated Masons. During the middle ages the
craftsman that were trained in the Roman Colleges of Artificers were serfs,
bondsmen, and were declared free to travel throughout Europe, building
cathedrals, monasteries, and other religious buildings. The Masons who
were selected to build the Temple of Solomon were declared free, and were
exempted, together with their descendants, from imports, duties and
taxes. They had also the privilege to bear arms. At the
destruction of the temple by Nebuchadnezzer, the posterity of these Masons
were carried into captivity with the ancient Jews. But the good-will of
Cyrus gave them permission to erect a second temple, having set them at
liberty for that purpose. It is from this epoch that we bear the name
Free and Accepted Masons.
Fervency, and Zeal
earliest lectures in the eighteenth century designated freedom, fervency,
and zeal as the qualities which should distinguish the servitude of
Apprentices, and the same symbolism is found in the ritual of the present
day. The word freedom is not here to be taken in the modern sense
of liberty, but rather in its primitive Anglo-Saxon meaning of
frankness, generosity, a generous willingness to work or perform one's duty.
who has been initiated into the mysteries of the Fraternity of Freemasonry.
according to the general acceptation of the term, is an art founded on the
principles of geometry, and directed to the service and convenience of
mankind. But Freemasonry, embracing a wider range and having a nobler
object in view, namely, the cultivation and improvement of the human mind, may
with propriety be called a science, inasmuch as availing itself of the terms
of the former, it inculcates the principles of the purest morality, though its
lessons are for the most part veiled in allegory, and illustrated by
symbols. The definitions of Freemasonry have been numerous, and they all
unite in declaring it to be a system of morality, by the practice of which its
members may advance their spiritual interest, and mount by the theological
ladder, from the lodge on earth to the Lodge in heaven. Subjoined are a
few of the most important definitions:
is a beautiful system of morality, veiled in allegory, and illustrated by
symbols." -- Hemming
grand object of Masonry is to promote the happiness of the human
race." -- George
is an art, useful and extensive, which comprehends within its circle every
branch of useful knowledge and learning, and stamps an indelible mark of
pre-eminence on its genuine professors, which neither chance, power, nor
fortune can bestow." -- Preston
are Great Truths at the foundation of Freemasonry -- truths which it is its
mission to teach, and which constitute the very essence of that sublime system
which gives to the venerable institution its peculiar identity as a science of
morality, and it behooves every disciple diligently to ponder and inwardly
digest." -- Albert
is one peculiar feature in the Masonic Institution that must command it to the
respect of every generous mind. In other associations it is considered
meritorious in a member to exert his influence in obtaining applications for
admission; but it is wholly uncongenial with the spirit of our Order to
persuade any one to become a Mason. Whosoever seeks a knowledge of our
mystic rites must first be prepared for the ordeal in his heart; he must not
only be endowed with the necessary moral qualifications which would fit him
for admission into out ranks, but he must come, too, uninfluenced by friends
and unbiased by unworthy motives. This is a settled landmark of the
Order; and, therefore, nothing can be more painful to a true Mason than to see
this landmark violated by young and heedless brethren.
for Freemason. Mauer means a wall, and mauern,
to build a wall. Hence, literally, freimaurer is a builder
of walls, who is free of his gild, from the fact that the building of
walls was the first occupations of masons.
of the Lodge
well-regulated Lodge is furnished with the Holy Bible, the Square, and the
Compasses. These constitute the
furniture of the Lodge, being the three
Great Lights of Masonry. The first is designed to be the guide of our
faith; the second to regulate our actions; and the third to keep us within
proper bounds with all mankind.
ancient symbol well known in the science of coats of arms and the other
details of heraldry. It is sometimes known as the cruz dissimulata,
found in the catacombs of Rome, and forms one of the symbols of the Degrees of
Prince of Mercy, Scottish Rite system. It is a form of the Swastika (See
here to return to the Glossary Index