6 Secrets of the Freemasons
One of the oldest fraternal organizations in the world, Freemasonry officially dates back to the formation of the first Grand Lodge in England in 1717, although its true beginnings may stretch back hundreds or thousands of years before that point. Formerly an extension of the stonemason guilds in Europe, the organization is now filled with (mostly) men of all faiths, backgrounds, and professions, who gather for the shared love of camaraderie and charitable efforts intended to uplift their communities.
That’s the official party line, at least, but the Freemasons also have a long history of stoking suspicion due to their clandestine ways. While they openly publicize their existence online and even offer tours of their lodges, they also close off access to their ceremonies and retain many of the rituals that have traditionally been shrouded in mystery. As a result, the Freemasons have historically been accused of all manner of nefarious activity, from assassination attempts to satanic worship, and the group has been formally condemned by the Catholic Church.
It can be hard to definitively determine what’s true or overblown when it comes to an organization that keeps a tight lid on its activities. But enough details have leaked out over the years for the nonindoctrinated to get a glimpse at what goes on behind the curtain of this secretive society.
Initiation Ceremonies Can Be Unnerving
Those who are interested in the cloak-and-dagger aspects of Freemasonry are rarely disappointed when learning of the initiation rites for newcomers. According to author Pat Morgan’s The Secrets of the Freemasons, traditionally, a candidate is ordered to roll up a pant leg and open their shirt before being blindfolded and led by a cable tow into a lodge. The candidate then feels a dagger placed to their chest as they’re asked a series of questions, and they’re warned that they’ll have their throat cut if they divulge any secrets of the brotherhood (or sisterhood — female freemasons, who are largely limited to their own groups, undergo similar rites).
As these rituals are solely for candidates for the first degree of Freemasonry, the Entered Apprentice, there are different ceremonies — and warnings — for those awaiting entry to the next two degrees, Fellow Craft and Master Mason. (Beyond these three basic degrees, the total number of degrees differ according to the specific sect of Freemasonry. For example, members of the Scottish Rite can reach a maximum of 33 degrees.) However, Morgan stresses that punishments were never literally carried out and are no longer part of the official oaths.
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Members Learn a Series of Handshakes
As the Freemasons were originally working stonemasons, their secret handshakes (or grips) developed as a means for identifying members according to level of skill. Nowadays, Freemasons can determine the rank of an associate by their knowledge of the grips learned while progressing up the organization’s hierarchy. As described by Morgan, the Entered Apprentice is taught a grip in which one Mason presses their thumb against the top of the first knuckle-joint of their counterpart, who in turn places their thumb on the first Mason's knuckle. The Fellow Craft learns a grip in which one Mason presses the top of their thumb hard on the second knuckle, while the other matches with the same action. For the Master Mason grip, known as the "Lion's Paw," the participants interlace their thumbs as one presses their fingers against the wrist of their counterpart, who does the same with their fingers splayed.
New Grips Are Accompanied by Passwords
Masons also learn passwords as part of their ceremonies to advance to the next degree, although these words are either spelled out or relayed in syllables as opposed to being explicitly stated. The first password presented to the Entered Apprentice is "Boaz," a reference to the name of the left-hand pillar standing at the entrance to King Solomon's temple in ancient Jerusalem. The password for the Fellow Craft is "Jachin," which was the name of the right-hand pillar as well as the priest who officiated at the opening of the temple. The candidate for Master Mason is taught the password of "shibboleth," a term that comes from a story in the Hebrew Bible in which it was used to test to distinguish one group or people from another.
Participants Also Learn Nonverbal Signs
What would a system of private handshakes and passwords be without some nifty signs to round out the secrecy? Although signals can vary among lodges, some of the universal ones include the sign for sympathy, indicated by gently bumping the palm of the right hand against the head; the sign for grief, in which the hand passes across the forehead; and the sign for horror, which requires its enactor to fall to the floor like a starlet overwhelmed by fear in a scary movie. There is also what’s known as the "grand hailing sign of distress," in which the person in dire straits raises both arms at a 90-degree angle before lowering them in three distinct motions to their sides; those who witness the signal are instructed to drop everything and immediately provide assistance.
Some Freemason Symbols Have Secretive Meanings
Aptly described by the organization as a "peculiar system of morality, veiled in allegory and illustrated by symbols," Freemasonry is marked by imagery that hearkens back to the society's roots as a guild. Its best-known symbol is probably the square and compasses, tools of the builder that signify the importance of living a balanced life. Other traditional instruments such as the plumb and trowel and the level also prominently feature in the organization's displays. Nontool symbols include the all-seeing eye, reflective of the “Great Architect of the Universe” (i.e., God) watching over humanity, and the two-headed eagle, which stands for the fusion of matter and spirit. But the wide-ranging organization has also used an array of obscure symbols with meanings that have no clear significance at this point in time; these include emblems such as the blazing cross, the bleeding dagger, the brazen serpent, the horned man, the lamb, and the triangle in a circle.
Many Famous Figures Were Quietly Involved With the Organization
Given that there are more than 6 million Freemasons around the world — even with membership in decline in recent decades — it should come as little surprise that some of the most powerful and influential people to walk this planet have partaken in the brotherhood's elaborate ceremonies. However, with the exception of those who've had nearly every detail of their life scrutinized, such as George Washington, it can be difficult to find mention of a luminary's involvement in this secretive society without extensive digging. According to The Secrets of the Freemasons, some of history's famous yet little-known Freemasons include U.S. Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman, and Gerald Ford; British monarchs Edward VII, Edward VIII, and George VI; authors Mark Twain, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and Rudyard Kipling; actors Clark Gable and John Wayne; singing cowboys Gene Autry and Roy Rogers; jazz greats Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington; frontiersman "Buffalo Bill" Cody; escape artist Harry Houdini; and composer extraordinaire Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
