9. Their Symbols Come from Stone Masons
It’s no secret that the Masons love symbols. Perhaps the most recognizable is the square and compass with a “G” in the center. The “G” is for geometry and the “Great Architect of the Universe.” The square represents morality and honesty while the compass symbolizes circumscribing desire and keeping passions in bounds. The use of masonry tools in their symbolism harkens back to the organization’s origins in the Middle Ages. Traveling stone masons would use passwords and secret handshakes to identify themselves as members of guilds so they could gain access to construction sites
. Today, Masons do the same to identify themselves to each other. The literal tools the stonemasons used in their craft are now incorporated in the masonic lodges’ “speculative geometry.” Instead of crafting temples and cathedrals, today masons are crafting character and “making good men better.” You can see the imagery of stonemasonry tools all over the lodge, including these small grotesques that line the Gothic Room.
Degree names are also taken from craft guilds. To become a stonemason one would first have to become an apprentice, then a fellow of the craft and finally a master. These names are reflected in the three stages of masonry: Entered Apprentice, Fellow Craft, and Master Mason, which are further broken down into 33 degrees.