Sworn to Secrecy – Masonic Beliefs on Life After Death, ‘The Grand Architect’ of the Universe and More

 

Who are the Masons/Freemasons? 👁️

 

The masons (or freemasons) are an organization well known for their secrecy. However, some researchers and ex-masons have given insight into their beliefs. This includes a solid belief in the afterlife, including claims from an old mason that they believed you had to pass away to get to the next degree of masonry and gain it in Sirius (the star often shown in Masonry and Ancient Egypt, where they also strongly believed in the afterlife, hence mummification). Also, a creator of the universe (or as they allegedly refer to ‘Grand Architect’), as all of creation has mathematical construct such as the Fibonacci Sequence.

Here is an excerpt about the masons from history.com:

‘Freemason secrets allegedly lurk behind everything from the planning of our nation’s capital to murder. Members of the enigmatic Masonic brotherhood include prominent politicians, Founding Fathers and titans of business. In modern times, Masons are known for donating millions to charity.

Freemasons belong to the oldest fraternal organization in the world, a group begun during the Middle Ages in Europe as a guild of skilled builders. With the decline of cathedral building, the focus of the society shifted. Today, ‘Freemasons are a social and philanthropic organization meant to make its members lead more virtuous and socially oriented lives,’ says Margaret Jacob, professor of history at the University of California, Los Angeles, and author of ‘Living the Enlightenment: Freemasonry and Politics in Eighteenth-Century Europe’. Grounded in the Enlightenment, the organization ‘still conveys [the era’s] core values, religious tolerance, thirst for knowledge and sociability,’ says Cécile Révauger, a Freemason, historian of Freemasonry and professor at the University of Bordeaux.

While not a secret society, it does have secret passwords and rituals that originate with the medieval guild, says Jacob: ‘In the original guild, there were three stages: Apprentice, Fellowcraft and Master Masons who oversaw everyone working on a site. Today, these degrees are more philosophical.’

Freemasons have long communicated using visual symbols drawn from the tools of stonemasonry. The ‘All-Seeing Eye’, or Eye of Providence, while not designed by Masons, has been used by the group to represent the omniscience of God. The most well-known Freemason symbol/logo (the main image of this post), ‘The Square and Compasses,’ depicts a builder’s square joined by a compass. The ‘G’ at its centre remains subject to dispute; some experts at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, for example, believe the ‘G’ in the symbol’s centre represents geometry, a critical field to the first Freemasons, while others believe it represents God, the ‘Grand Architect of the Universe.’ The Square and Compasses remains a popular symbol on Masonic rings.

There’s another, lesser-known Masonic symbol drawn from nature: the beehive. ‘Masons were originally working men who were supposed to be as busy as bees,’ says Jacob. ‘And the beehive symbolizes the industriousness of the lodge.’

Freemasons greet one another with a variety of handshakes, all based on one’s rank within the organization. ‘There is a handshake for each degree: Apprentice, Fellowcraft, and Master, i.e., the first three degrees and also in the higher degrees,’ says Révauger. ‘Each rite has its own handshakes, so there is quite a variety. They are used during Masonic ceremonies.’

While Freemasonry is not itself a religion, all its members believe in a Supreme Being, or ‘Grand Architect of the Universe.’ Members come from many faiths, but one denomination in particular bars any crossover. The Catholic Church first condemned Freemasonry in 1738, prompted by concern over Masonic temples and the secret rituals performed within them.

Famous Freemasons can be found throughout history: George Washington was a Master Mason, and Benjamin Franklin was a founding member of the first Masonic Lodge in America. Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and Gerald Ford were Masons, as was Prime Minister of Great Britain Winston Churchill. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Davy Crockett, Duke Ellington, Nat King Cole, Henry Ford, Paul Robeson and astronaut Buzz Aldrin were also Freemasons.‘

 

Videos on the Masons/Freemasons 🎥

 

Here are some interesting videos around the subject, including insights from former 33rd-degree Freemason Dr. William Schnoebelen (Dr. Bill Schnoebelen) and KRS-One. Dr. William Schnoebelen discusses a range of topics such as beliefs, activities, rituals, the renowned handshake, the good, the bad, eternal life and how “Magic is real!”:

You can read more on freemasonry here.