Freemasonry

What is freemasonry?

Freemasonry is an organization of people who believe in brotherhood and helping others. Members are called as "Freemasons". Freemasons also help one another in times of hardship. Freemasonry can be found all over the world about 6 million people are Freemasons.

What are they called?

The local groups in various countries are known as "lodges". In the State or National level are "Grand Lodges". There are all independent of each other. Freemasonry is only for men, but there are also lodges for women that are not recognized as by the "regular" groups.

How did it started?

The word mason means a construction worker who works with stone. He is also called a "stonemason". Freemasonry grew from the groups of stonemasons in the Middle Ages. They were called Freemasons because they were free, they were not servants who belonged to a rich lord. The stonemasons tried to keep their skills secret so that only they knew how to do their job. This is probably why the Freemasons have hand shakes and passwords that they swear to keep secret.

Where did It started?

The first grand lodge, established to govern Freemasonry in England and Wales, was formed in 1717. At that time there were four lodges in the city. But in Scotland, a masonic lodge in Edinburgh has records show that it has already existed since at least 1599. During the early 18th century, Freemasonry spread quickly to Europe and the colonies.

Is Freemasonry a religion?

No,it's not a religion it's only secular movement.There are ritual elements, but they don't have a priest or a minister. The members of Freemasonry have to acknowledge a belief in god.

The meaning of Freemasonry Symbol

This symbolic symbol consisting of the letters G, square moments, and compasses is the most basic representative badge of the Freemasonry. Square moments and compasses are tools used by the masonry surveying and mapping. They represent members in the Masonic ideology.

Every Masonic Club is decorated with symbols of square moments and compasses. It may be derived from the symbolic six-pointed star or "Star of David". Square moments represent the down-to-right triangle truths in the six-pointed star, and the compasses represents morality. The combination represents the "truth", the "Morality" and the "harmony".

Compass, square moments and codes are indispensable tools for the members to complete personal difficulties, break through the darkness, and to see the light again, therefore called the Three Great Lights (The Three Great Lights).

Structure of Freemasonry

The Masonic structure in Scotland is divided into 33 levels, which are represented by the degree symbol “°”, but only 1° to 3° involve the concept of hierarchy:

1° member is called "Apprentice" Entered Apprentice.

2° members are called "Fellow Craft", and are informal members.

3° member is called "Master Mason" Full Member

3° to 33°are all the same

They must be applied for at the general clubhouse. Different levels in the Freemasonry mean different studies and learning content, and also represent the development of members in different periods; for example, 33° is for honorary titles. There is an equal relationship between the level of the engineer and the above levels.

After all Freemasonry is a secret organization, nobody really knows what is the truth behind it. Today, there are about 6 million Masonic, about 150,000 members in Scotland and Ireland, about 250,000 members in England , about 200,000 in France, and about 2 million in the United States. There are about 1,200 members in Hong Kong . The Freemasonry members almost took up every page of Western modern history, including members of the European royal family such as the United Kingdom and many presidents of the United States.This organization still have lots unknown part, like consiparcy theory. To this organization I have more intrests in want to search more info about it.