These symbols have been around since the beginning of Freemasonry and reflect the beliefs and traditions of the Brotherhood. In this list, we examine the history and meaning behind some of the most important symbols of Masonic symbolism.
1. Square and Compass
This is a widely recognized symbol of Freemasonry. Both the square and compass are tools of the architect and are used in Masonic ritual as emblems to teach symbolic lessons. It is often seen with the letter “G” in the middle, which stands for “geometry,” a powerful science that helps unravel the mysteries and wonders of nature.
Ancient tradition says that the letter “G” placed in the center of the symbol represents God and geometry. Belief in God is the main requirement for becoming a Mason; no atheist can be a member of this oldest, largest, and most recognized fraternal organization in the world.
This symbol teaches us to square our actions with all of humanity; it is also the emblem of the Master of the Lodge because it is the Masonic emblem of his office. It also represents equity, balance, stability, and provides a foundation on which to build.
2. Lambskin apron.
It is the most representative emblem of Masonic symbolism. It is the unique insignia of a Mason and is considered a tool. Said to be more honorable than the Roman eagle or the golden fleece, the Masonic apron is literally the insignia of a Mason that he takes with him to the next existence.
Celebrated in poetry and prose, the lambskin apron is the initial gift of Freemasonry to a candidate, and at the end of the pilgrimage of life, it is placed over his mortal remains and buried with his body in the grave.
This insignia symbolizes regeneration, or a new life. It refers to the “pure heart.” It dates back to the working days of Freemasonry, when masons wore a long apron made of thick leather to protect them from rock splinters and blows from their tools. As a protective garment, the apron symbolizes hard work and at the same time helps to create and maintain the strong bond of belonging to the same brotherhood.
The apron is said to refer to the “pure heart,” while the gloves refer to “clean hands,” and both are associated with purification, which in Masonry was always symbolized by ablution, which preceded ancient initiations into the sacred.
3. Gloves
Masonic gloves symbolize the “Works of the Hands.” The gloves given to the candidate are intended to teach him that the acts of a mason must be as pure and spotless as the gloves given to him.
In Europe, they are given to candidates at the same time as the apron; the same custom formerly prevailed in England; now (in Europe and America) gloves are not part of the ceremony, but are worn as part of Masonic attire. The tradition of gloves is very ancient in Masonic symbolism.
In the Middle Ages, operative masons wore gloves to protect their hands from the effects of their work. Édouard Didron (1836-1902), a French stained glass artist and art writer, wrote:
In the year 1331, the Chatelan de Villaines, in Duemois, purchased a considerable quantity of gloves to give to the workers, to, as it is said, “protect their hands from stone and lime.”
In October 1383, according to a document from that period, three dozen pairs of gloves were purchased and distributed to bricklayers when construction began on the Chartreuse de Dijon. In Freemasonry, gloves were used, like aprons, to denote the need for purity of life.
4. The Temple of Solomon
It represents the temple of humanity, knowledge, and improvement; the symbol of the goal, and at the same time the very union of Freemasonry. It is the path to the divine. In the tradition of Masonic symbolism, this temple is a link between the early Christians and the hermetic thought of the Kabbalah.
Many believe that philosophy is directly linked to the past, present, and future of Freemasonry and the temple of King Solomon. Worship in the temple is considered progress toward spiritual elevation. There is a difference between a material temple and a spiritual temple that must be built in our hearts and considered the place where God lives.
5. All-seeing eye (Eye of Providence)
This is a powerful symbol that has been used for hundreds of years, if not longer. Some scholars trace its history back to ancient Egypt and the Eye of Horus. The symbol has been an important Christian symbol that can often be found in church stained glass windows.
In the United States, the Eye of Providence is often associated with conspiracies, the Illuminati, the Vatican, and the Freemasons, who began publicly using the symbol in 1797. The all-seeing eye of God.
It is a reminder that the thoughts and deeds of humanity are always observed by God (who is referred to in Freemasonry as the Great Architect of the Universe). The Masonic Eye of Providence usually has a semicircular glory beneath it and is (sometimes) enclosed by a triangle in Masonic symbolism.
6. Ashlars
Rough Ashlar and Perfect Ashlar are not just two pieces of stone, but a clear representation of what we are and what we hope to be. They symbolize the moral and spiritual life of man.
Ashlars are a very beautiful representation of this symbol. Rough and perfect ashlars have the same relationship to each other as ignorance to knowledge, death to life, and light to darkness. Rough ashlar (rough, natural stone) is, in Masonic terms, a symbol of the natural state of ignorance of men and a symbol of the profane world.
The perfect ashlar is already prepared (cut, squared, polished, and smooth) and, as such, is used in building. It is a symbol of the state of perfection achieved through education. In essence, in Masonry, it means that through education and the acquisition of knowledge, a man, who begins as rough (an imperfect stone), improves the state of his moral and spiritual being and becomes a perfect Ashlar and makes the end.
Journey to the Grand Lodge Above. You may leave a reputation as a wise counselor, a pillar of strength and stability, a perfect Ashlar on which younger Masons can test the accuracy and value of their own contribution to the Masonic order.
7. Work
Work is not a punishment, but a necessity and a nobility, which creates a better society. This is also why Masons use various symbols representing tools used for work on the cloth.
By working, a man shows respect and appreciation to God. To perform assigned tasks well is a man’s highest duty, and work should give a person the greatest happiness and inner satisfaction. For Masons, work is worship in Masonic symbolism.
8. Level
One of the working tools of a Fellow Craft in Masonic symbolism. It is a symbol of the equality of all men before God. The level measures the levelness of horizontal surfaces. It reminds Masons that they are all living their lives on the level of time.
