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You are here: Home / Featured / Why Does Freemasonry Use Odd Symbols?

Why Does Freemasonry Use Odd Symbols?

August 13, 2017 by Greg Stewart 2 Comments

Skulls, architectural tools, mallets, aprons… all of these things can we weird. So why does Freemasonry use so many odd symbols? This question is at the heart of many detractors who like to speculate on their nefarious meanings.

Freemasonry is a system of symbol and allegory. By using such symbols, it conveys specific meanings or lessons that each recipient can apply to his personal life and spiritual development.

The skull and bones, or specifically the skull (or death’s head) is actually a symbol to remind us of mortality, as it is the ultimate equalizer of men of all rank, as none can avoid its inevitability. This is more a means to remind us that no matter our station in life, rich or poor, we are all subject to the same fate, and that our goal should be to make this world better for everyone. All Masons should always strive for our noble endeavor of spreading brotherly love, relief, and truth. The hourglass similarly reminds us of the swift passage of time, so as not to delay. The Temple of Solomon has many meanings within Masonry; most significantly it represents the Temple built to hold the laws of God to man in the Judaic tradition. Though its use implied a religious connotation, its application is universal and serves as an allegory to a deeper meaning.

More in the series:

What is Freemasonry? – Part 1: What is a Freemason?
What is Freemasonry? – Part 2: How Old is Freemasonry?
What is Freemasonry? – Part 3: Why are Freemason’s Secretive?
What is Freemasonry? – Part 4: Is Freemasonry a Patriotic Body?
What is Freemasonry? – Part 5: Why Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth?
What is Freemasonry? – Part 6: Why is Freemasonry a Ritual Practice?
What is Freemasonry? – Part 7: Why Does Freemasonry Use Odd Symbols?

From the ebook: What is Freemasonry?

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Filed Under: Featured, Symbolism, Video, What is Freemasonry Tagged With: alchemy, freemasonry explained, Memento Mori, Symbolism

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About Greg Stewart

A devoted student of the Western Mystery Traditions, Greg is a firm believer in the Masonic connections to the Hermetic traditions of antiquity, its evolution through the ages and into its present configuration as the antecedent to all contemporary esoteric and occult traditions. He is a self-called searcher for that which was lost, a Hermetic Hermit and a believer in “that which is above is so too below.” Read more about Greg Stewart.

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  1. Pete Normand – A Texas native, Pete Normand is an Eagle Scout and a 1971 graduate of Texas A&M University, where he was a member of the Corps of Cadets. In 1973, he was commissioned an officer in the U.S. Air Force and, during the 1970s, served as a Navigator on KC-135 Tankers in the Strategic Air Command, earning the Vietnam Service Medal. He is married with two grown children and three grandchildren. In 1990, he retired from a successful career in real estate development. History and genealogy are two of his passions, and he has been a devoted genealogist for fifty years, focussing primarily on the early Louisiana ancestors of the Goudeau and Barbin families. An active Freemason since 1978, he is a Past Master of four Masonic lodges, a past presiding officer of all the bodies of the York Rite, a 33rd Degree member of the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, and is a Past Grand Chancellor of the Grand College of Rites, U.S.A. In 1992, he was the Charter Master of St. Alban's Masonic Lodge No. 1455, the first lodge created to pursue the best traditional practices of Freemasonry. From 2010 through 2014, he was President of the Masonic Restoration Foundation, an international organization that promotes and facilitates the formation of traditional and observant lodges. Best known as a Masonic researcher, writer and lecturer, Pete is a Past Master (1989) of Texas Lodge of Research, where he was named its 15th Fellow in Masonic Research in 2001. From 1991 through 1994, he edited and published American Masonic Review. He is a founding member, former editor and Fellow and of the Scottish Rite Research Society, founded in 1991. He continues to serve on the Society's Board of Directors. In 2010 he was named the 99th member of the Society of Blue Friars, an invitation society of Masonic authors. Since 1984, he has served as the librarian and archivist of the Brazos Valley Masonic Library & Museum. He has served on the Fraternal Relations Committee of the Masonic Grand Lodge of Texas since 1991, and is a Past Chairman of the Commission on Information for Recognition of the Conference of Grand Masters in North America.
    Pete Normand says

    August 14, 2017 at 7:01 am

    Is it really necessary to explain the symbolic meaning of the skull and crossbones. Anyone with a half-way decent education should know of the symbols of memento mori. As for the rest of society … I wouldn’t bother with them.

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  1. Five Reasons NOT TO BE A Freemason & One To Be One | Freemason Information says:
    January 20, 2022 at 12:18 am

    […] by grade, than to read them in some books. Everything is published!  Do you want to know the Freemasons secret signs? Poor soul,  what’s YouTube is for? So, dear curious, if it is curiosity that moves you […]

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