The Secrets of FreeMasonry

Every now and again, I get individuals who will ask me how I feel regarding the secrets of FreeMasonry. To this must come the customary reply, "What secrets?" Answers come back, from Christ says that man should not have secrets (what happens in the darkness and all that stuff) to the Gadianton Robbers (see post here). Generally I ignore such comments as argument fodder, but thought I would address the topic here.

Masonry has two types of secrets; 1)traditional, and 2) philosophical.

The traditional secrets are no longer secrets. Since Speculative Masonry became public in 1717 there have been exposes of its secrets. When I had questions regarding the relationship between Masonry and Mormonism a gentleman, who would later become a Grand Master, directed me to Duncan's Ritual as a reference to my concerns. I still own that book and my wife at any time could open it and find out the traditonal "secrets." The secrets, the rituals, modes of recognition, etc., are nothing more than holdovers from a day when it was necessary that there be secrets. Don't get me wrong, I believe that these secrets are part of Masonry and are as integral, if not moreso, than anything else we physically do in a lodge room.

Masonry, or more appropriately, Masons have another secret, this secret cannot be read, wrote, or even discussed about as a whole. This is the philosophical secret of Masonry. Every single man who is initiated an Entered Apprentice leaves the Lodge Room with a philosophy regarding the instructions he just received. That philosophy is grown from the Mason's experiences coupled to the ritual of Masonry. For example, the lecture of the three great lights "The Holy Bible, Square, and Compasses," might be represented differently for the man whose Volume of Sacred Law is the Torah rather than the KJV of the Holy Bible. By being accessible to all, Masonry truly is that "peculiar system of morality, veiled in Allegory, and illustrated by Symbols."

This philosophy is individual, it can be discussed, wrote, or read about, but never on a level deeper than the individual, always maintaining its secrecy. Perhaps if previous generations had understood the difference between these two secrets perhaps we wouldn't have seen the missing generation that is not in the Lodge Room.