I have to say, that every time I hear about some officer getting his “jewels” in a bind over the Square & Compass and a skull being displayed together, I get closer and closer to having it tattooed on the back of my hands. Somehow the jump from an innocuous corporate logo to Eve taking a bite from a forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden makes complete logical sense to some people. To say that the skull is a misrepresentation of Masonry is akin to saying that the company Apple is “evil” because their logo happens to be an apple with a bite taken out of it. The crossed bones are added to signify the pillars of the portico where man stands as he labors in the quarry. The skull also relates to rebirth and as a reminder for spiritual reawakening. The Skull stands as a bastion in Masonry as a reminder that death is ever imminent and should incite ones reflection of their own life. One of my closest Brothers had this to say: “Not understanding the Skull is like not understanding the Acacia.” Not to seem pompous or take myself off the level, but I would have to suggest that these Brothers go back and read up on some ritual, starting with the Entered Apprentice degree.Īccording to some, displaying the Square & Compass with a skull “gives the wrong impression” because “that is not who we are”… To my surprise and utter disbelief, some sovereign Masonic bodies have actually issued statements that forbid the skull to be displayed with the Square & Compass. It's a Masonic room, with symbols designed to make you think.īrian: Lately, the subject of the Square & Compass being associated with a skull has been going around Masonic circles, especially on social media. Either way, it’s a sad state of affairs.Īnd yet again, I will remind you, this isn't a “devil’s room” or a “witch’s room” or anything that your “religious eyes” are seeing.
In the cases of sovereign Masonic bodies having a posture against the use of the symbol, it only solidifies our lack of confidence in the individual lodge to educate its candidates in the true symbolism we hold so dear. If the latter is the case, then a root cause analysis would show poor education on the part of an individual lodge, and ergo is the basis for banning the practice or having an issue with the symbol. We have a problem with them because they may be offensive to our particular religious sensibilities or are afraid that it will offend someone else’s. Let's get real here for a moment, on the level. (“Take these garments and get dressed, watch out for the paint cans.”) It isn't a dusty old broom closet you let your candidate get dressed in. The only difference is that a Chamber of Reflection has a system of quality control, it being part of the ritual, that is. Chambers of Reflection and Preparation Rooms are virtually the same thing, like it or not, Brothers. In place of a “prep room” they use the CoR. These Chambers of Reflection are widely used in many lodges all around the world, and their effectiveness as a tool in preparing the candidate has been extremely well documented. One of the larger areas in which brothers complain about the use of the skull and crossbones is in the Chamber of Reflection. It seems as though those who take issue with the skull & crossbones being used, largely in part, seem to replace the symbolism from what it is in Freemasonry to what it means in either pop culture or their religion. My answer is usually, "It's one of the lessons of the first degree and of the third.” The brothers always seem to give me a half cocked frown and say something like, "I don't know about that.” It’s like a skipping record. And when I have worn this or any other item emblazoned with this image of a skull, a skull & crossbones, or any variation thereof, I get the same response, "Rob, what's with the skull?" Countless times, I have worn a square and compass pin with a skull in the middle in place of the American standard "G"(only adopted around 1717, mind you). It dares you to peruse it, to understand it. It stops you in your tracks and makes you notice it.
The Skull & Crossbones is a stark symbol. Robert: In my years as a Mason, one symbol stands alone as the most powerful, and not just because of its imagery.
In this short article, we’d like to bring to the attention of the reader and anyone else who may happen upon this article the tradition, antiquity and importance of this great symbol and to set the record straight for those who see it in a way that is outside the definitions and philosophical interpretations of Freemasonry. We are, of course, referring to the skull & crossbones. One, however, is continually employed by many much to the chagrin of countless persons and sovereign Masonic bodies.
In the world of Masonry, there are many symbols which represent various teachings in the Fraternity.
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