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Everyone
uses symbols every day, just as we do ritual. We use them because they
communicate quickly. When you see a stop sign , you know what it means, even if
you can not read the word "stop." The circle and line mean "do
not" or "not allowed." In fact, using symbols is probably the
oldest way of communication and the oldest way of teaching.
Masonry
uses symbols for the same reason. Some form of the "Square and
Compasses" is the most widely used and known symbol of Masonry. In one way,
this symbol is a kind of trademark for the fraternity, as the "golden
arches" are for McDonald’ s. When you see the Square and Compasses on a
building, you know that Masons meet there.
And like all symbols, they have a meaning.
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The
Square symbolizes things of the earth, and it also symbolizes honor, integrity,
truthfulness, and the other ways we should relate to this world and the people
in it. The Compasses symbolize things of the spirit, and the importance of a
well-developed spiritual life, and also the importance of self-control -- of
keeping ourselves within bounds. The G stands for Geometry, the science which
the ancients believed most revealed the glory of God and His works in the
heavens, and it also stands for God, Who must be at the center of all our
thoughts and of all our efforts.
The
meanings of most of the other Masonic symbols are obvious. For example, the
gavel teaches the importance of self-control and self-discipline. The hour-glass
teaches us that time is always passing, and we should not put off important
decisions.
The
reasons that the Lodges have been termed “Blue Lodges” is because blue is
emblematic of friendship, a peculiar characteristic of ancient craft masonry.
The color for borders of aprons, collars and other regalia of the symbolic lodge
is blue.
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