Masonic Symbols Explained: A Guide to the Symbols Every Mason Sees

Overview

Masonic symbols are builders’ tools and objects the Craft uses to teach moral lessons. The square stands for honest conduct, the compasses for restraint, and the letter G for geometry and, in many lodges, God. Several popular origin stories, including the Temple floor and the dollar-bill eye, do not survive a look at the documented record.

This guide takes the symbols a Mason sees at every meeting and asks two questions of each: what was it in the working world, and when does it first appear in our records? It traces the square to a 1724 catechism, explains how the letter G came to carry two meanings, and shows why the black and white floor is not a copy of Solomon’s Temple. It sorts out the conflicting biblical heights of Jachin and Boaz and settles the dollar-bill question with dates. It ends with practical advice on giving a new Brother or a visitor an honest answer, the mistakes to avoid, and a small habit for testing what you were taught against what the books say.