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Freemasons For Dummies
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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:
- What it takes to become a member of the Freemasons, and what you can expect when you join
- How Lodges are organized and what really goes on during Masonic ceremonies
- The basic beliefs and philosophies of Freemasonry, including how Masons contribute to charity, and society in general
- The origins behind some of the wild myths and conspiracy theories surrounding Freemasonry and how to debunk (most of) them
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
Media Type: Paperback(3rd ed.)
Publisher: Wiley
Publication Date: 10-26-2021
Pages: 432
Product Dimensions: 7.40(w) x 8.90(h) x 1.00(d)
Christopher Hodapp 33° has spent most of his adult life as a member of the Freemasons, rising to the status of 33rd degree in the Scottish Rite. His long list of authoring credits includes several books on Freemasonry as well as RVs & Campers For Dummies. He has appeared as an expert on Freemasonry on several shows on the History Channel, Discovery Channel, TruTV, and American Heroes Channel.
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...) Read an Excerpt
Freemasons For Dummies
By Christopher Hodapp John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 0-7645-9796-5
Chapter One
Lodges, Aprons, and Funny Handshakes: Freemasonry 101
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.
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"...a delight; no masonic prudery here, no academic dry ... simple readable style that encourages one to read on...great value..." (The Square, March 2006)What People are Saying About This
From the Publisher
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 lodgeTable of Contents
Introduction 1