Some lodges in England are fiercely defensive about their ritual; there may only be a few words that are said differently, or perambulation in lodge may be slightly different, but to that particular lodge, their ritual is done their … Continue reading →
WHEN IS A MAN A MASON? When he can look out over the rivers, the hills, and the far horizon with a profound sense of his own littleness in the vast scheme of things, and yet have faith, hope, and … Continue reading →
The ritual in England and Wales was brought into a standardized format after the union of 1813. A Lodge of Reconciliation was set up in the same year in an attempt to standardize the many varied rituals that had been worked throughout the … Continue reading →
The Ancient Order of Druids was formed as a Friendly Society at the King’s Arms in London in 1781 and soon began to spread its influence, forming new ‘lodges’. Even though the Society suffered in the wake of the Secret … Continue reading →
Freemasonry has always attracted writers ever since the early beginnings of the society; James Anderson is an early example, Anderson writing the Constitutions in 1723 and 1738. Freemasonry has always been an attractive topic to write about, best exemplified recently … Continue reading →
The ‘winged hourglass’ has appeared in many eighteenth century Masonic exposes and on early Tracing Boards. The symbol represents mortality; the sands of time slipping away to the bottom of the glass. Time flies – and the symbol can be … Continue reading →
This is a silver symbol of Mercury holding his staff Caduceus, which was commonly used in many Masonic jurisdictions by the Deacons during the eighteenth century. After the union in England in 1813, it was replaced by the symbol of a … Continue reading →
Godfrey Higgins was born in 1772, he resided at Skellow Grange near Doncaster, living the life of a comfortable country squire. He was educated at Cambridge and studied law, becoming a Yorkshire magistrate, a Freemason and a reformer, playing a … Continue reading →
The Ouroboros and the symbol of infinity The symbol of infinity as a Masonic symbol can be seen in various exposes during the eighteenth century, seen as a snake or a even a rope twisted in a ‘figure-of-eight’ position, a never-ending … Continue reading →
The beehive is a very old Masonic symbol that is still used in many countries, but in England and Wales it was dropped after the Union of 1813. It can still be seen however in some older pre-Union lodges, for … Continue reading →
