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Freemasonry is a worldwide network of fraternal organizations. Members are joined together by shared ideals of both a moral and metaphysical nature and, in most of its branches, by a constitutional declaration of belief in a Supreme Being. Organisationally, Freemasonry is governed on a geographic basis by independent, Sovereign Grand Lodges which may, or may not, be in a state of mutual recognition.

Freemasonry is an esoteric society, in that certain aspects of its internal work are not generally disclosed to the public, but it is not an occult system. In recent years, it has become less and less a secret society and more of a "society with secrets." In fact, most of the so-called "secrets" of Freemasonry were revealed and have been known to the public since as early as the eighteenth century. For this and other reasons, most modern freemasons regard the traditional concern over secrecy as a demonstration of their ability to keep a promise and as a surrogate for the organization's concern over the privacy of their own affairs. The private aspects of modern Freemasonry deal with elements of ritual and the modes of recognition amongst members within the ritual.

Organizational structure

There are many jurisdictions within Freemasonry, each sovereign and independent of the others, and usually defined according to a national or geographic territory. There is no central Masonic organizational structure or authority, and in any event many practices are determined by Lodge custom, so any general description will inevitably be inaccurate in respect of some places.

The authority in any Masonic jurisdiction is vested in a Grand Lodge, or sometimes a Grand Orient. Each jurisdiction maintains a list of other jurisdictions that it formally recognizes as meeting its requirements for regularity based on a number of Landmarks. If the other jurisdiction reciprocates the recognition, the two jurisdictions are said to be in amity. Being in amity means that the members are able to attend meetings bilaterally. In keeping with the decentralized and non-dogmatic nature of Freemasonry, there is no universally accepted list of landmarks, although a number of core principles exist. Jurisdictions in amity with each other may have very different ideas as to what those landmarks are, with some taking no official position at all.

Subject to the size of the Grand Lodge the geographic area of coverage may be sub-divided into Provinces, each governed by a Provincial, District or Metropolitan Grand Lodge.

The first Grand Lodge jurisdiction in Freemasonry was the Grand Lodge of England, founded in 1717 when four existing Lodges met to form the governing body. A competing Grand Lodge formed in York claiming that the Grand Lodge in London had broken with a number of traditions and was divergent from the principles of Freemasonry. The Grand Lodge became known as the Moderns and the York Grand Lodge became known as Antients. The two reunited in 1813, to become the United Grand Lodge of England (UGLE). It is today the only regular Craft jurisdiction in England, and generally considered to be the oldest Grand Lodge jurisdiction in the world.

The oldest jurisdiction in the European Continental branch, and the largest jurisdiction in France, is the Grand Orient de France (GOdF), founded in 1728. At one time, the two branches bilaterally recognized each other, but most jurisdictions cut off formal relations with the GOdF around 1877. The Grande Loge Nationale Francaise (GLNF) is currently the only French Grand Lodge that is in regular amity with The United Grand Lodge of England (UGLE), and concordant jurisdictions. In most Latin countries, and in Belgium, the GOdF style of European Continental Freemasonry predominates. The rest of the world, accounting for the bulk of Freemasonry, tends to follow the lead of the English UGLE, and concordant juristictions.

So, Freemasonry is often said to consist of two different branches:

• the UGLE and concordant tradition of jurisdictions (termed Grand Lodges) in amity and,
• the GOdF European Continental tradition of jurisdictions (often termed Grand Orients) in amity.

In reality, there is no tidy way to split jurisdictions into distinct camps, as recognition is constitutional, not dogmatic. In addition, the geographical territory of one jurisdiction may overlap with another's, which may affect their relations, for purely territorial reasons. In other cases, one jurisdiction may overlook irregularities in another due simply to a desire to maintain friendly relations. Also, a jurisdiction may be formally affiliated with one tradition, while maintaining informal ties with the other. For all these reasons, labels must be taken only as rough indicators, not as clear designations.

The Masonic Lodge

A Lodge, often termed a Private Lodge or Constituent Lodge in Constitutions, is the basic organisation of Freemasonry. Every new Lodge must be warranted by a Grand Lodge, but is subject to its direction only in enforcing the published Constitution of the jurisdiction. A Master Freemason is generally entitled to visit any Lodge - in any jurisdiction in amity with his own. He is first usually required to check, and certify, the regularity of the relationship of the Lodge - and be able to satisfy that Lodge of his regularity of membership.

Freemasons meet as a Lodge not in a Lodge, however the rooms and buildings within which Masons meet. Lodge buildings are variously known as Lodges or Temples, ("of Philosophy and the Arts"), but in many countries Masonic Centre or Hall has now replaced this term - to settle modern scruples. Several different Lodges often use the same premises - each on published dates.

According to Masonic myth (see below), the operative lodges (the Medieval lodges of actual stonemasons) constructed a lodge building adjacent to their work site where the masons could meet for shelter, instruction and social contact. Normally this was on the southern side of the site (in Europe, the side with the sun warming the stones during the day). Hence the social gathering, (the Festive or Social Board), of the lodge is sometimes also called the South.

An early Speculative Lodge, (including members not actually stonemasons), would meet in a tavern or other convenient meeting place with a private annex. The word Freemason may refer to these masons being "free" from work - as they met to talk about Masonic theory rather than practice - or it could relate to the liberal or "free" arts upon which much of freemasonry is based. It may simply refer to the superior grade of masons working in freestone, as used in early English statutes.

Many Lodges are formed by Masons living within a given town or neighborhood. Other Lodges, particularly in urban areas where there are many Lodges close together, are formed by persons who share a particular interest, particular profession or background - certain schools, universities or military units. There are also specialist lodges of "Research and Instruction" (R&I). Membership in these R&I lodges is typically open to interested Master Masons of other lodges - as R&I lodges usually do not initiate new candidates to Freemasonry.

Prince Hall Freemasonry

In 1775, an African American named Prince Hall was initiated into an Irish Constitution Military Lodge then in Boston, Massachusetts, along with fourteen other African Americans, all of whom were free born. When the Military Lodge left the North America, the African Americans were given the authority to meet as a lodge, form Processions on the days of the Saints John, and conduct Masonic funerals, but not to confer degrees, nor to do other Masonic Work. In 1784 these individuals applied for, and obtained, a Lodge Warrant from the Premier Grand Lodge of England and formed African Lodge, Number 459 (Premier Grand Lodge of England). When the United Grand Lodge of England (UGLE) was formed in 1813, all U.S. based lodges were stricken from their rolls – due largely to the U.S. and British War, 1812 to 1815. Thus, separated from both UGLE and any concordantly recognised U.S. Grand Lodge, African Lodge re-titled itself as the African Lodge, Number 1 - and became a de facto "Grand Lodge". (This Lodge is not to be confused with the various Grand Lodges on the Continent of Africa). These events led to a tradition of separate and predominantly African American Freemasonry in North America, known as Prince Hall Freemasonry. As with the rest of U.S. Freemasonry, Prince Hall Freemasonry soon grew, and organised on a Grand Lodge system for each State.

Prince Hall Masonry has always been regular in all respects except constitutional separation. Widespread racism and segregation, in the 19th and early 20th century North America, made it impossible for African Americans to join lodges outside of Prince Hall jurisdictions - and impossible for inter-jurisdiction recognition between the parallel U.S. Masonic authorities. Prince Hall Grand Lodges are, presently, recognized by some UGLE Concordant Grand Lodges and not by others, but appears to be working its way toward full recognition . It is now quite usual for non-Prince Hall lodges to have ethnically diverse membership. The majority of Masonic Grand Lodges in the United States now grant at least some degree of recognition to Prince Hall Grand Lodges.

In 2005, Prince Hall Lodge became formally recognized by the Grand Lodge of Maryland in Cockysville. All Prince Hall Lodge members are now recognized and allowed to attend all other recognized lodge's meetings.

Other degrees, orders and bodies

There is no degree in Freemasonry higher than that of Master Mason.

A number of organisations exist which require one to be a Master Mason as a prerequisite for membership, none of which are considered to have any authority over the craft. These organisations are considered as additional or appendant, membership being discretionary in order to provide a different perspective on some of the allegorical, moral and philosophical content within Freemasonry. These appendant bodies are administered separately from Freemasonry and within each there is a system of offices which confer rank within that order alone, although frequently these bodies style themselves as Masonic due to the membership requirement that one hold the Master Mason degree.

Examples of these appendant orders include:

• Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite (also known as Antient and Accepted Rite), a system of degrees developed in Continental Europe, particularly in France.
• York Rite, Predominantly in the United States of America; a system of degrees which includes three distinct sovereign rites: the Holy Royal Arch, Royal and Select Masters (Cryptic Masonry), and (Masonic) Knights Templar. These orders are wholly distinct elsewhere.
• Royal Order of Scotland
• Societas Rosecruciana
• Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, commonly known as (Shriners)
• Mystic Order of Veiled Prophets of the Enchanted Realm (Grotto)
• Tall Cedars of Lebanon.

The Shrine and Grotto, which are mostly located in North America, tend to emphasize fun and philanthropy.

Different Freemasonic jurisdictions vary in their relationships with such bodies, if at all. Some offer formal recognition, while others consider them wholly outside of Freemasonry. This leads to some such bodies not being universally considered as appendant bodies, some being simply as separate organizations that happen to require Masonic affiliation for membership. Some of these organizations have additional religious requirements, beyond "Craft Masonry", since they approach Masonic teachings from a particular, Christian, perspective.

A number of youth organizations exist, mainly North American, which are associated with Freemasonry, but are not Masonic in their content. These include:

• DeMolay International, for boys aged 12–21;
• Job's Daughters International, for girls aged 10-20 with a Masonic family relationship
• International Order of the Rainbow for Girls, for girls who have Masonic sponsorship.

There are some organisations which are commonly perceived as being related to Freemasonry, such as the Boy Scouts of America, which is incorrect, however some of these benefit from charitable support by Masonic or appendant bodies.

A number of bodies style themselves along Masonic lines, using similar regalia and ritual however

they are not accorded recognition.

Membership requirements

A candidate for Freemasonry must apply to a Private (or Constituent) Lodge in his community, obtaining an introduction by asking an existing member. After enquiries are made, he must be freely elected by secret ballot in open Lodge. Members approving his candidacy will vote with "white balls" in the voting box. Adverse votes by "black balls" will exclude a candidate. The number of adverse votes necessary to reject a candidate, which in some jurisdictions is as few as one, is set out in the governing Constitution. Lodges conduct these elections in a number of different ways; a wholly secret ballot where every member is given the means to vote either way, or semi public where members who choose to vote go to the ballot box and cast a secret vote.

General requirements

Generally to be a Freemason, one must:

1. Be a man who comes of his own free will. Traditionally Freemasons do not actively recruit new members.
2. Believe in a Supreme Being, or, in some jurisdictions, a Creative Principle.
3. Be at least the minimum age (18–25 years depending on the jurisdiction, but commonly 21),
4. Be of sound mind, body and of good morals, and of good repute.
5. Be free (or "born free", i.e. not born a slave or bondsman).
6. Have one or two references from current Masons (depending on jurisdiction).

One must approach an existing member for an application, so Freemasonry is open to all who otherwise fulfil the requirements.

A candidate is asked 'Do you believe in a Supreme Being?', there is no further investigation into the nature of that Supreme Being. Since an initiate is obligated on that sacred volume which is applicable to his faith, a sponsor will enquire as to an appropriate volume once a decision has been made on the applicants suitability for initiation.

A number of Grand Lodges allow a Lewis, the son of a Mason, to be initiated earlier than the normal minimum age for that Grand Lodge.

Being of "sound body" is thought to be derived from the operative origins of Freemasonry, an apprentice would be able to meet the demands of their profession. It is today generally taken to mean "physically capable of taking part in Lodge rituals"; Grand Lodges encourage the use of mechanisms within the ritual to mitigate for difficulty.

The "free born" requirement is moot in modern Lodges; it remains for purely historical reasons. Some jurisdictions have done away with it entirely.

Some Grand Lodges in the United States have a residence requirement, candidates being expected to have lived within the jurisdiction for certain period of time, typically six months. This requirement may be waived in certain jurisdictions for certain situatons.

Membership and religion

Freemasonry explicitly and openly states that it is not a religion, nor a substitute for religion. There is no separate "Masonic God," and there is no separate proper name for a deity in any branch of Freemasonry.

Freemasonry requires that its candidates believe in a Supreme Being, the nature of that being subject to the conscience of the candidate. As the interpretation of the term Supreme Being is left up to the individual members can be drawn from a wide range of faiths; the Abrahamic religions and other monotheistic religions. Some members of non-monotheistic religions are accepted subject to answering Yes to the question asked, these include, for example, Buddhists and Hindus.

In the irregular Continental European tradition, since the early 19th Century, a very broad interpretation has been given to a (non-dogmatic) Supreme Being — usually allowing Deism and naturalistic views in the tradition of Spinoza and Goethe (himself a Freemason), or views of The Ultimate or Cosmic Oneness, along with Western atheistic idealism and agnosticism. This leads some anti-Masonic pundits to suggest that even regular Freemasonry will, in practice, accept certain kinds of atheists — willing to adopt quasi-spiritual language.

In some jurisdictions (mostly English-speaking), Freemasonry is actually less tolerant of naturalism than it was in the 18th Century, and specific religious requirements with more theistic and orthodox overtones have been added since the early 19th Century (mostly in North America), including belief in the immortality of the soul.

The Freemasonry that predominates in Scandinavia, known as the Swedish Rite accepts only Christians..

Women and Freemasonry

The position of women and Freemasonry is complex, although traditionally, only men can be made Freemasons, in Regular Freemasonry.

A supposed exceptional, (very irregular and perhaps unique), account of a woman being admitted to Freemasonry in, 18th century, is the case of Elizabeth Aldworth (born St. Leger), who is reported to have viewed the proceedings of a lodge meeting held at Doneraile House - the private house of her father, first Viscount Doneraile - a resident of Cork, Ireland. In the early part of the 18th century, it was quite customary for lodges to be held in private houses. This lodge was duly warranted for use by Lodge number 150 on the register of the Grand Lodge of Ireland.

Apparently, she removed a brick and saw the ceremony in the room beyond. After being discovered, Elizabeth's situation was discussed by the lodge. It was decided that she should be initiated into Freemasonry. The story is supported by other accounts of her being a subscriber to the Irish Book of Constitutions of 1744. She frequently attended, wearing her Masonic regalia, and gave entertainments, under Masonic auspices, for the benefit of the poor and distressed. She married Mr. Richard Aldworth of Newmarket, and it is reported that when she died she was accorded the honour of a "Masonic" burial.

The systematic admission of women into International Co-Freemasonry began in France in 1882 with the initiation of Maria Deraismes into the Loge Libre Penseurs (Freethinkers Lodge), under the Grande Loge Symbolique de France. In 1893, along with activist Georges Martin, Maria Deraismes oversaw the initiation of sixteen women into the first lodge in the world to have both men and women as members, from inception, creating the jurisdiction Le Droit Humain (LDH). Again these are regarded as irregular bodies, by Regular Freemasonry.

In North America, women cannot become Freemasons per se, but rather join an associated separate body with its own traditions. Order of the Eastern Star (OES) was created in the United States in the mid-19th Century for female Masonic relatives and Master Masons. Its members are mainly the wives and daughters of Master Masons.

In the Netherlands, there is a completely separate, although masonically allied, sorority for women, the Order of Weavers (OOW), which uses symbols from weaving rather than stonemasonry.

The GOdF and other jurisdictions, in the Continental European tradition, give full formal recognition to Co-Freemasonry and women's Freemasonry. The UGLE, and other jurisdictions concordant in that regular tradition, do not formally recognize any Masonic body that accepts women. The UGLE, has stated - since 1998 - that two local women's jurisdictions are regular in practice, except for their inclusion of women, and has indicated that, while not formally recognized, these bodies may be regarded as part of Freemasonry, when describing Freemasonry in general.

Principles and activities

Freemasonry is described as a System of Morality, veiled in allegory and illustrated by symbol and as such it uses ritual to convey the principles of "Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth" - otherwise related, as in France: "Liberty, Equality, Fraternity"..

Moral lessons are delivered in a ritualised manner, the candidate progressing through degrees gaining in knowledge and understanding of himself, his relationship with others and his relationship with that Supreme Being to which he adheres.

Outside the ritual context the fraternity is widely involved in charity and community service activities, as well as providing a social outlet for the members.

The balance between ritual, philosophcal and spiritual, charitable service and social interchange aspects varies subject to the cultures of the various Grand Lodges which govern Freemasonry around the world. Some Continental European Grand Lodges require the candidate to demonstrate philosophical competence as he advances through the degrees which is not overwhelmingly present in Britain, North America, and the anglophone parts of the world where charity tends to balance philosophy. There is a growing movement of lodges throughout the anglophone world tending towards the more philosophical and spiritual aspects of the craft.

Nevertheless, philosophy and esoteric knowledge remains a deep interest to many individuals. The philosophical aspects of the Craft tend to be discussed in Lodges of Instruction or Research, and sometimes informal groups. Freemasons themselves frequently reprint the scholarly studies that are available to the public.

Contemporary challenges

As with other fraternal organisations in the 21st Century, Freemasonry in some districts of the United States, the UK and other jurisdictions has been losing members, faster than it can replenish them. In contrast, the number of Masons is generally on the rise in South America and Continental Europe.

A number of theories exist as to the cause of this declining membership:

• A consequence of changing social mores and recognisable in other similar organisations.
• A return to a more natural level following an unsustainable increase in membership following WWII.

Many Grand Lodges in the U.S. have tried a variety of, often-controversial, measures to address declining membership. These have included "one-day ceremonies" of all the three degrees for large groups of candidates, (as opposed to individual degree conferrals taking months or years to complete); advertising on billboards, and even active recruitment of new candidates by members, (as opposed to the tradition of considering only those who actively seek membership for themselves). Some Masons object to the traditions and principles of Freemasonry being diluted by these changes, feeling that the Fraternity has survived centuries of social change without changing itself; others cite a need for Freemasonry to modernize and make itself relevant to new generations.

Ritual and symbolism

Freemasonic Ritual uses the architectural symbolism of the medieval operative Masons who actually worked in stone. Tools from operative masonry are used by Freemasons to teach moral and ethical lessons and to encourage the development of a relationship with the Supreme Being. Two of the principal symbols always found in a lodge are the square and compasses. However, as Freemasonry is non-dogmatic, there is no general interpretation for any of these symbols.

The square and compasses are displayed at all Masonic meetings, along with the open Volume of the Sacred Law (VSL). In English-speaking countries, this is frequently the King James Version of the Bible or another standard translation (there is no such thing as an exclusive "Masonic Bible"). It is otherwise whatever book a particular jurisdiction authorizes. In many French Lodges, the Masonic Constitutions are used.

A candidate for a degree will normally be given his choice of religious text for his Obligation, according to his beliefs. UGLE aludes to symilarities to legal practice in the UK, and to a common source with other oath taking. Christian candiates will typically use the Lodge's Bible while those of other religions may choose another book that is holy to them, to be displayed alongside the Lodges' usual VSL. In lodges with a mixed religious membership it is common to find more than one sacred text displayed representing the beliefs of the individuals present.

In keeping with the geometrical and architectural theme of Freemasonry, the Supreme Being is referred to in Masonic ritual by the attributes of Great Architect of the Universe (G.A.O.T.U.), Grand Geometer or similar. Freemasons use a variety of forms of words in make clear that they are reference is generic, not about any one religion's particular God or God-like concept.

Degrees

The degrees of Craft or Blue Lodge Freemasonry are those of:

1. Entered Apprentice (EA)
2. Fellow Craft (FC)
3. Master Mason (MM)

As a Freemason works through the degrees, and studies the lessons they contain, he interprets them for himself. No Mason is dictated to as to the interpretation he personally gives, bounded only by the Constitution within which he works. A common structure of speaking symbolically, and universal human archetypes, provides for each Freemason a means to come to his own answers to life's important philosophical questions. Especially in Europe, Freemasons working through the degrees are asked to prepare papers on related philosophical topics, and present these papers in an open Lodge.

Signs, grips and words

Freemasons use signs (hand gestures), grips (hand shakes) and passwords to gain admission to their meetings and identify that a visitor is legitimate. Over the years many exposés have been written claiming to reveal these signs grips and passwords for the uninitiated. However, as each Grand Lodge is free to create its own rituals, the signs, grips and passwords can and do differ from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, as noted clearly by Christopher Hodapp. Furthermore, according to historian John J. Robinson Grand Lodges can and do change their rituals frequently, updating the language used, adding or omitting sections.The logical conclusion of Hodapp's and Robinson's assertions is that any exposé is only valid for a particular jurisdiction at a particular time, and therefore may or may not be accurate with respect to modern ritual.

Landmarks

The Landmarks are the ancient and unchangeable precepts of Masonry, the standards by which the regularity of a Freemasonic Lodge and Grand Lodges are judged. Each Grand Lodge is self-governing and no single authority exists over the whole of Freemasonry. The interpretation of these principles can and do vary, leading to controversies of recognition.

The concept of Masonic Landmarks appears in Masonic regulations as early as 1723, and seems to have been adopted from the regulations of operative masonic guilds. Nowadays the term Landmark is generally understood by the definition of Dr. Albert Gallatin Mackey, who laid down three requisite characteristics, namely: (1) immemorial antiquity (2) universality (3) absolute irrevocability.

In 1856, Mackey attempted to set down the actual Landmarks as he saw them. He determined there were 25 in all. Seven years later, in 1863, George Oliver published Freemason's Treasury in which he listed 40 Landmarks. In the last century, a number of American Grand Lodges attempted the daunting task of enumerating the Landmarks, ranging from West Virginia (7) and New Jersey (10) to Nevada (39) and Kentucky (54).

History of Freemasonry

Origin theories

Freemasonry is a system of morality, veiled in allegory and illustrated by symbol and in the ritual context employs an ellegorical foundation myth of foundation of the fraternity by the builders of King Solomon’s Temple.

Beyond myth, there is a distinct absence of documentation as to Freemasonry’s origins, which has led to a great deal of speculation among historians, both from within and from outside the fraternity. Hundreds of books have been written on the subject. Much of the content of these books is highly speculative, and the precise origins of Freemasonry may very well be permanently lost to history.

Freemasonry has variously been attributed to  :

• an institutional outgrowth of the medieval guilds of stonemasons,
• a direct descendant of the "Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and the Temple of Solomon in Jerusalem" (the Knights Templar)
• an offshoot of the ancient Mystery schools,
• an administrative arm of the Priory of Sion,
• the intellectual descendants of the Roman Collegia,
• the intellectual descendants of the Comacine masters,
• the intellectual descendants of Noah or Enoch,
• survivor of late 17th Century, enlightenment period, fashion for fraternal bodies with no real connections at all to earlier organizations.

It is thought by many that Freemasonry is unlikely to be a straightforward outgrowth of medieval guilds of stonemasons. Amongst the reasons given for this conclusion are the facts that stonemasons lived near their worksite and thus had no need for secret signs to identify themselves, and that the "Ancient Charges" of Freemasonry are nonsensical when thought of as being rules for a stonemasons' guild.

Especially amongst York Rite Freemasons, Freemasonry is said to have existed in the 10th century CE, at the time of King Athelstan of England. Athelstan is said to have been converted to Christianity in York, and to have issued the first Charter to the Masonic Lodges there. The story of his conversion is unsubstantiated, as that royal dynasty had been Christian for centuries.

Current theory suggests that the development of Freemasonry has two distinct growth periods.

Stage 1 Freemasonry being operative in nature and likely to have been associated with the craft guilds. Ritual elements are simple and there is no evidence of a sophisticated philosophical outlook.

Stage 2 emerges in the 18th Centry with a gentrification process and is evidenced by an increasing non-operative membership notable for their social position and position in English, particularly London based, society. The Prestonian ritual and lectures demonstrate an infusion of enlightenment philosophy and increasing use of ritual as a vehicle for the communication and exploration of that philosophy.

From foundation to 1717

A more historical source asserting the antiquity of Freemasonry is the Halliwell Manuscript, or Regius Poem - believed to date from ca. 1390. This makes reference to several concepts and phrases similar to those found in Freemasonry. The manuscript itself seems to be an elaboration to an earlier document, to which it refers.

There is also the Cooke Manuscript, dated 1430 - the Constitution of German stonemasons. The first appearance of the word 'Freemason' occurs in the Statutes of the Realm enacted in 1495 by Henry VII of England, however, most other documentary evidence prior to the 1500s appears to relate entirely to operative Masons.

By 1583, the date of the Grand Lodge manuscript, the documentary evidence begins to grow. The Schaw Statues of 1598-9(4) are the source used to declare the precedence of Lodge Mother Kilwinning in Kilwinning, Ayrshire, Scotland over Lodge Mary's Chapel in Edinburgh. These are described as Head and Principal respectively. As a side note, following a dispute over numbering at the formation of the Grand Lodge of Scotland (GLS) - Kilwinning is numbered as Lodge Mother Kilwinning Number 0 (pronounced 'Nothing'), GLS. Quite soon thereafter, a charter was granted to Sir William St. Clair (later Sinclair) of Roslin (Rosslyn), allowing him to purchase jurisdiction over a number of lodges in Edinburgh and environs. This may be the basis of the Templar myth surrounding Rosslyn Chapel.

From the early 1600s references are found to Freemasonry in personal diaries and journals. Elias Ashmole (1617-1692), was made a Mason in 1646, and notes attending several Masonic meetings. There appears to be a general spread of the Craft, between Ashmole's account and 1717, when four English Lodges meeting in London Taverns joined together and founded the Grand Lodge of England (GLE). They had held meetings, respectively, at the Apple-Tree Tavern, the Crown Ale-House near Drury Lane, the Goose and Gridiron in St. Paul's Churchyard, and the Rummer and Grapes Tavern in Westminster.

With the foundation of this first Grand Lodge, Freemasonry shifted from being an obscure, relatively private, institution into the public eye. The years following saw new Grand Lodges open throughout Europe. How much of this growth was the spreading of Freemasonry itself, and how much was due to the public organization of pre-existing private Lodges, is uncertain.

The two great schisms of Freemasonry (1753 and 1877)

In 1723, wrote and published The Constitutions of the Free-Masons, For the Use of the Lodges in London and Westminster. This work was reprinted in Philadelphia in 1734 by Benjamin Franklin, who was that year elected Grand Master of the Masons of Pennsylvania.

The Grand Lodge of England (GLE) expanded the degree system from two — Entered Apprentice and Fellow Craftsman — to three. This was done by adding the Master Mason degree, around the year 1725; and by reorganising, adding and dispersing ritual elements. The GLE along with those jurisdictions in amity with it, came to be known colloquially as the Moderns, (or the Premier Grand Lodge), to distinguish them from a newer, rival group within Freemasonry, known as the Antients, (or the Antient Grand Lodge). The Antients broke away in 1753, prompted by changes to the Ritual and a wish to have a fourth Holy Royal Arch (HRA) degree within Craft Masonry. Benjamin Franklin was a Modern, but by the time he died, his lodge had gone over to the Antients and would no longer recognize him as one of their own — declining to give him Masonic honours at his funeral.

The schism was healed in when the competing Grand Lodges were amalgamated into the United Grand Lodge of England (UGLE) in 1813, by virtue of a delicately worded compromise that returned the modes of recognition to their pre-1753 form, but kept Freemasonry per se as consisting of three degrees only, and while still allowing the Antients to view the HRA degree as the completion of the third degree. Both the Antients and the Moderns had daughter lodges throughout the world, and because many of those lodges still exist, there is a great deal of variability in the ritual used today, even between UGLE-recognized jurisdictions in amity. Most private lodges conduct themselves in accordance with an agreed-upon single Rite.

The second great schism in Freemasonry occurred in the years following 1877, when the GOdF started accepting atheists unreservedly. While the issue of atheism is probably the greatest single factor in the split with the GOdF, the English also point to the French recognition of women's Masonry and co-Masonry, as well as the tendency of French Masons to be more willing to discuss religion and politics in Lodge. While the French curtail such discussion, they do not ban it as outright as do the English. The schism between the two branches has occasionally been breached for short periods of time, especially during the First World War when American Masons overseas wanted to be able to visit French Lodges.

Concerning religious requirements, the oldest constitution found in Freemasonry — that of Anderson, 1723 — says that a Mason "will never be a stupid Atheist nor an irreligious Libertine" if he "rightly understands the Art". The only religious requirement was "that Religion in which all Men agree, leaving their particular Opinions to themselves". Masons debate as to whether "stupid" and "irreligious" are meant as necessary, or as accidental, modifiers of "atheist" and "libertine". It is possible the ambiguity is intentional.

In 1815, the newly amalgamated UGLE modified Anderson's constitutions to include: "Let a man's religion or mode of worship be what it may, he is not excluded from the Order, provided he believes in the glorious Architect of Heaven and Earth, and practices the sacred duties of morality."

In 1849, France (GOdF) followed the English (UGLE) lead by adopting the "Supreme Being" requirement, but pressure from Latin countries produced by 1875, the alternative phrase "Creative Principle". This was ultimately not enough for the GOdF, and in 1877 it re-adopted the original Anderson document of 1723. They also created an alternative ritual that made no direct reference to any deity, with the attribute of the Great Architect of the Universe. This new Rite did not replace the older ones, but was added as an alternative, as Continental European jurisdictions, generally, tend not to restrict themselves to a single Rite — offering a menu of Rites, from which their lodges may choose.

Anti-Masonry

Anti-Masonry (alternatively called Anti-Freemasonry) is defined as "Avowed opposition to Freemasonry".

There is no homogenous anti-Masonic movement. Anti-Masonry consists of radically differing criticisms from sometimes incompatible groups, but the unifying motive of all the various Anti-Masonic groups is that they share some form of hostility to Freemasonry. However, exactly how that hostility is promulgated and why is a dynamic phenomenon that has changed over time.

Civil Anti-Masonry

Freemasonry is often alleged to hold back its members from fully committing to their nation. Critics claim that compared to Operative Masonry's clear denunciations of treachery Masonry after 1723 (Speculative masonry) was far more ambiguous. It is alleged that Masonic disapproval of treachery is not on moral grounds but on the grounds of inconvenience to other Masons. The adage "Loyalty to freedom overrides all other considerations" is said to justify treason.

Religious Anti-Masonry

Christian Anti-Masonry

According to Eddy D. Field II and Eddy D. Field III, of the Masters Seminary, many Christians argue that Freemasonry is contrary to the claim that salvation comes exclusively through Jesus Christ, encouraging religious indifferentism. Some evangelical Christians claim that Freemasonry involves Satan worship.

Catholic criticism of Freemasonry

The Roman Catholic Church has consistently opposed Freemasonry, arguing that it encourages anti-clericalism.

Cultural references

• Rudyard Kipling used Masonic symbols and characters in some of his writings, most notably The Man Who Would Be King, which was later made into a film. Two adventurers are taken to be Masonic representatives of Alexander the Great.

• One of the main characters in Edgar Allan Poe's The Cask of Amontillado is a Freemason.

• One of the main characters in Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace becomes a Freemason.

• The plot of the opera "Die Zauberflöte" ("The Magic Flute") contains several references to Masonic ideals and ceremonies. Mozart and his librettist Emanuel Schikaneder were in the same Masonic "Lodge of the Nine Muses".

• Joseph Smith, the founder of the Mormon religion was a Freemason, as were the first five presidents of the Church: Smith, Brigham Young, John Taylor, Wilford Woodruff, and Lorenzo Snow.

• The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn was a society founded by at least one Mason who also was a member of the Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia (a research and study group focusing on symbolic alchemy, the mystical kabbalah, tarot, and Christian Symbolism). The Golden Dawn was never a Masonic body, and was open to membership from non-Masons and women.

• The graphic novel From Hell by Alan Moore, (and the movie based upon it) - feature as their basic premise - a conspiracy theory linking "certain Freemasons" to the Jack the Ripper murders. The story is that "Freemason" Sir William Gull, the then British Royal Household's physician, covered up a child of Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence born to a Catholic shop girl - "by killing her, and all the women who knew about the baby". The story depends on the assumption that such figures as the Marquess of Salisbury, Sir William Gull and Sir Robert Anderson were Freemasons - but there is no actual record of their initiation into Freemasonry in any Lodge.

• Freemasons feature heavily in Robert Shea's and Robert Anton Wilson's satire, The Illuminatus! Trilogy.

• John Cleese, and other Cast members, portray spoof Freemasons in the How to recognise a Freemason sketch of the satire Monty Python's Flying Circus.

• The Freemasons are spoofed in an episode of The Simpsons as The Ancient Society of Stonecutters, a secret organisation that controls everything from NASA to the Academy Awards (thereby securing Steve Guttenberg's stardom).

• Another episode of The Simpsons has a scene where Mr. Burns, obsessing with germs and becoming a "Howard Hughes"-like recluse, sees germs on Smithers' face. The germs chant "Freemasons run the country."

• Dan Brown's novels, Angels and Demons, The Da Vinci Code and The Solomon Key draw heavily on supposed Masonic and Christian lore and symbolism.

• Foucault's Pendulum by Umberto Eco also deals with Freemasonic themes.

• The Cremaster Cycle films by Matthew Barney use Masonic imagery.

• The plot of the 2004 movie National Treasure revolves heavily around the Freemasons and is somewhat unusual in that it depicts them in a benign light.

• In The Baron in the Trees Italian writer Italo Calvino includes Masonry lodges branching out into the lands of Ombrosa with the protagonist of the novel, Cosimo di Rondo, mysteriously and supposedly involved with them.

• Katherine Kurtz and Deborah Turner Harris use Freemasonry in their series The Adept, most notably in The Adept Book Two: The Lodge of the Lynx, and in Kurtz's American Revolution historical novel Two Crowns for America, which links Freemasonry and Jacobitism.

• In John Steinbeck's novel East of Eden Adam Trask, the main character, is mentioned as becoming a Freemason later in life.

Notes

1. http://www.grandlodge-england.org/pdf/cr-rule-update2-141205.pdf Aims and Relationships of the Craft Para 9
2. http://www.grandlodge-england.org/pdf/cr-rule-update2-141205.pdf Aims and Relationships of the Craft Para 11
3. http://www.grandlodge-england.org/masonry/what-is-freemasonry.htm
4. http://www.grandlodge-england.org/masonry/YQA-secret-society.htm
5. http://www.mqmagazine.co.uk/issue-15/p-43.php
6. http://www.msana.com/secrecy.htm
7. http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Thebes/6779/secrets.html
8. Emulation Ritual ISBN 0 85318 187 X pub 1991, London
9. http://www.grandlodge-england.org/masonry/YQA-secret-society.htm
10. ^ Freemasons for Dummies, by Christopher Hodapp, Wiley Publishing Inc., Indianapolis, 2005, p.70, sec. "The Grand Orient of France" Cite error: The named reference "GOdF" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
11. The Grande Loge Nationale Francaise (GLNF), accessed February 6 2006.
12. Who is Prince Hall?, accessed November 14 2005.
13. Prince Hall Masonry Recognition details, Paul M. Bessel, accessed November 14 2005
14. http://www.grandlodge-england.org/pdf/cr-rule-update2-141205.pdf Aims and Relationships of the Craft
15. Beyond the Craft: The Indispensable Guide to Masonic Orders Practised in England and Wales, Keith B Jackson, ISBN 0853182485, Pub 2005
16. http://www.grandlodge-england.org/pdf/cr-rule-update2-141205.pdf Aims and Relationships of the Craft
17. http://www.grandlodge-england.org/pdf/cr-rule-update2-141205.pdf
18. http://www.grandlodge-england.org/pdf/cr-rule-update2-141205.pdf Aims and Relationships of the Craft
19. UGLE: Is Freemasonry a religion?, accessed January 21 2006.
20. http://www.mqmagazine.co.uk/issue-13/p-46.php
21. Freemasons for Dummies, by Christopher Hodapp, Wiley Publishing Inc., Indianapolis, 2005, p.65, sec. "Religion and the Masons"
22. http://www.grandlodge-england.org/pdf/cr-rule-update2-141205.pdf Aims and Relationships of the Craft
23. http://www.cornerstonesociety.com/Insight/Articles/Cornerstone%20Society%20%20Whither%20directing%20our%20course%202.pdf
24. http://www.cornerstonesociety.com/Insight/Articles/darkness.pdf Darkness Visible by Michael Baigent, paper for The Cornerstone Society
25. http://www.mqmagazine.co.uk/issue-10/p-61.php.
26. UGLE Freemasons Accessed February 23 2006.
27. UK Government information on Courts system Accessed March 8 2006.
28. Masonic Civil and Military Oaths compared by UGLE Accessed March 8 2006.
29. Masonic oath 1650 to 1750 Accessed March 8 2006.
30. Feudal Oath on the Bible Accessed March 8 2006.
31. UGLE Freemasons Accessed February 23 2006.
32. http://www.mqmagazine.co.uk/issue-10/p-61.php
33. Christopher Hodapp, Freemasons For Dummies, Wiley Publishing Inc., Indianapolis, 2005, p.18. He further points out that these differences can cause difficulties for Masons who visit other Jurisdictions. Grand Lodges have had to issue "Masonic Passports" and dues cards to prove membership and ease this confusion.
34. John J. Robinson, A Pilgrim's Path, M. Evans and Co., Inc. New York, p.129
35. Masonic Landmarks, by Bro. Michael A. Botelho. Accessed 7 February 2006.
36. A History of Freemasonry by H.L. Haywood and James E. Craig, pub. ca 1927
37. The Origins of Freemasonry: Scotland's Century, 1590-1710 by David Stevenson, pub Cambridge 1990
38. English Speculative Freemasonry: Some possible Origins, Themes and Developments. The Prestonian Lecture for 2004 in Ars Quatuor Coronatum 2004 by Trevor Stewart, pub London 2005
39. The History of Freemasonry by Albert G. Mackey, Gramercy Books, 1996 , pp.217-266, secs. "Freemasonry and the Crusades" & "The Story of the Scottish Templars"
40. Freemasons for Dummies, by Christopher Hodapp, Wiley Publishing Inc., Indianapolis, 2005, pp. 203-208, sec. "A crash course in Templar history"
41. The Hiram Key: Pharoahs, Freemasons and the Discovery of the Secret Scrolls of Christ by Christopher Knight and Robert Lomas, pub London 1997
42. The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail by Michael Baigent, Richard Leigh and Henry Lincoln, pub London, 2005
43. Freemasonry and the Roman Collegia by H.L. Haywood, The Builder, 1923 — Freemasonry and the Roman Collegia
44. Freemasonry and the Comacine masters by H.L. Haywood, The Builder, 1923 — Freemasonry and the Comacine Masters
45. The History of Freemasonry by Albert G. Mackey, Gramercy Books, 1996 , pp.406-411, sec. "Noah and the Noachites"
46. The History of Freemasonry by Albert G. Mackey, Gramercy Books, 1996 , pp.396-405, sec. "The Legend of Enoch"
47. English Speculative Freemasonry: Some possible Origins, Themes and Developments. The Prestonian Lecture for 2004 in Ars Quatuor Coronatum 2004 by Trevor Stewart, pub London 2005
48. http://www.cornerstonesociety.com/Insight/Articles/articles.html
49. UGLE Freemasons Accessed February 23 2006.
50. Ibid
51. UGLE Freemasons Accessed February 23 2006.
52. Ibid
53. Ibid
54. Ibid
55. Revolutionary Brotherhood, by Steven C. Bullock, Univ. N. Carolina Press, Chapel Hill, 1996
56. A Pragmatic Masonic History, by Leo Zanelli, accessed November 14 2005
57. see Masonic U.S. Recognition of French Grand Lodges in the 1900s, Paul M. Bessel. Accessed November 14 2005
58. Ibid
59. Anderson's Constitutions, accessed November 14 2005.
60. Oxford English Dictionary (1979 ed., p. 369).
61. "Another characteristic of Masonic law is that "treason" and "rebellion" against civil authority are declared only political crimes, which affect the good standing of a Brother no more than heresy, and furnish no ground for a Masonic trial." Masonry (Freemasonry) from the Catholic Encyclopedia, quoting Mackey, "Jurisprudence", 509.
62. "2nd -- You shall be true liegemen to the King of England without any treason or falsehood, and if you know of any that you amend it privily, if you may, or else warn the King and his Council of it by declaring it to his officers."
63. II. Of the CIVIL MAGISTRATES supreme and subordinate "A Mason is a peaceable Subject to the Civil Powers, wherever he resides or works, and is never to be concern'd in Plots and Conspiracies against the Peace and Welfare of the Nation, nor to behave himself undutifully to inferior Magistrates; for as Masonry hath been always injured by War, Bloodshed, and Confusion, so ancient Kings and Princes have been much dispos'd to encourage the Craftsmen, because of their Peaceableness and Loyalty, whereby they practically answer'd the Cavils of their Adversaries, and promoted the Honour of the Fraternity, who ever flourish'd in Times of Peace. So that if a Brother should be a Rebel against the State he is not to be countenanc'd in his Rebellion, however he may be pitied as an unhappy Man; and, if convicted of no other Crime though the loyal Brotherhood must and ought to disown his Rebellion, and give no Umbrage or Ground of political Jealousy to the Government for the time being; they cannot expel him from the Lodge, and his Relation to it remains indefeasible."
64. "The brotherhood ought to disown the rebellion, but only in order to preserve the fraternity from annoyance by the civil authorities." from the article Masonry (Freemasonry) in the Catholic Encyclopedia
65. "Freemason's Chronicle" 1875, I, 81, quoted as footnote in Masonry (Freemasonry) in the Catholic Encyclopedia
66. "An overwhelming number of Christian denominations have condemned Freemasonry, including the Roman Catholic Church, the Methodist Church of England, the Wesleyan Methodist Church, the Russian Orthodox Church, the Synod Anglican Church of England, the Assemblies of God, the Church of the Nazarene, the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, the Reformed Presbyterian Church, the Christian Reformed Church in America, the Evangelical Mennonite Church, the Church of Scotland, the Free Church of Scotland, General Association of Regular Baptist Churches, Grace Brethren, Independent Fundamentalist Churches of America, The Evangelical Lutheran Synod, the Baptist Union of Scotland, The Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod, the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod, and the Presbyterian Church in America. " FREEMASONRY AND THE CHRISTIAN, Eddy D. Field II and Eddy D. Field III, The Master's Seminary Journal, Fall 1994, pp. 141-157

See also

• Anti-clericalism
• Anti-Freemasonry
• Anti-Masonic Party
• Catholicism and Freemasonry
• Co-Freemasonry
• Gnosticism
• List of Freemasons
• List of Masonic Grand Lodges
• Masonic Knights Templar
• Pigpen cipher
• Prince Hall Freemasonry
• Propaganda Due - The P2 Masonic Lodge Scandal
• Taxil hoax
• Secret society

Appendant bodies

• York Rite
• Royal Order of Scotland
• Scottish Rite
• Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine (Shriners)
• Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia in England
• Societas Rosicruciana in Scotia in Scotland
• Swedish Rite

Organizations with Masonic affiliations

• Ancient Egyptian Order of Sciots
• Daughters of the Nile
• DeMolay International
• International Order of Job's Daughters
• International Order of the Rainbow for Girls
• Ladies Oriental Shrine of North America
• National Sojourners
• Order of the Eastern Star
• Order of the Amaranth
• The Philalethes Society
• Tall Cedars of Lebanon

External links

• History and philosophy of Freemasonry.
• Famous Freemasons
• Masonic Books On-Line
• Hiram's Oasis
• Harun Yahya: Global Freemasonry
• Albert G. Mackey, M. D.: Symbolism of Freemasonry
• Masonic Art
• The Constitutions of the Free-Masons written by James Anderson and published "For the Use of the Lodges" in 1723 in London, and in 1734 by Benjamin Franklin in Philadelphia. Contains a mythical-biblical-historical account of the order, as well as "charges" and general regulations for members and lodges.

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• Freemasonry
• Politics
• Secret societies
• Sociology