I had this question posed to me today in an email from a brother on Facebook.
As freemasons, we are under oath and obligation to keep the secrets of masonry. Based on your understanding what are the secrets with so much material out on our craft?
My thoughts on formulating an answer are below. I’m sure its not the only answer, but one that seemed fitting in answering the question. I would be curious to hear your thoughts on the matter too.
Secret is a relative term. Is it the signs, tokens, words, or ideas and philosophy.
With so much published today, by the fraternity itself over the years, it makes me wonder what the craft itself holds as secret.
If anything, the secrets it possesses are those that even few masons truly comprehend, the state and nature of the divine, our connection to it, and how we communicate it.
Our best tool in keeping the secrets has been to not teach the meaning of masonry to its fullest potential, and its in that quest that we discover what the secret meaning is.
Ben Franklin is purported to of said that “the only secret of Freemasonry is that there is no secret” and maybe that is truer than what many realize. But as much weight that the society places on secrecy still begs the question of what its secrets might be.
Is it fraternalism? Is it some hermetic wisdom? Is it merely a collection of tokens or words?
The Franklin quote comes in (earlier) works from Fichte too.
How can we, as Masons, share something witch is so intimate to us, which is so integral to our deepest emotions? To my way of thinking, everything that can be published has been, the future will merely bring variations on a theme: what hasn’t been published is the greatest secret of all, and that is different with each and every individual Mason.
In the days of the Operative Masonic lodges, the ‘secrets’ of a Master Mason were the secrets of Geometry that allowed them to build flying buttresses that wouldn’t collapse under their own weight. These secrets gave the guilds (and Master Masons themselves) HUGE value as castles and fortifications were very often the key between life of a kingdom and death. In today’s economic terms, the Geometricians held an inelastic demand schedule…they could demand just about any price and get it from kings who needed their protections.
In spite of all the hype and wonder today, the only real secrets that Master Masons possess are certain signs, grips and words which are used in ritual and when we meet each other outside of the lodge. These signs in operative days were needed so that a travelling Master Mason could prove to the Local guild that he was actually a Master Mason and in command of the Secrets of Geometry. Today they are mostly just a way to add an aire of mystery to membership. Monty Python did most funny satire on this, but even these ‘secrets’ may be found online posted by oath breaking ‘born again’ types thinking that they are doing some great harm in exposing the ‘satanism’ behind Masonry.
As someone who has been developing software for over 30 years, please allow me to provide an analogous situation.
I am from time-to-time asked whether I could compromise a systems security or create a computer virus. As my masters thesis was in computer viruses, yes I can. And no I won’t. Neither will I show anyone else how. I have been asked and been offered work doing so.
I believe that although anyone can, as with Masonry, uncover all the ‘secrets’ through various means; that doesn’t mean that they either have the maturity or the ethics to use them in a manner that will benefit others.
One could conceivably apply the lessons of Masonry to give oneself the appearance of a leader and upright servant, while having the intent only of, at best, personal gain/advancement or, at worst, harming others.
At it’s best Masonry helps us learn and practice life lessons that will make the world a better place.
For a much as Idiot Guides and Dummy Books may be in demand, like the sacred books of the world, without others to help on the road, very few actually learn the lessons contained therein.
My Brothers, The secrets that we as Freemason’s keep are the mode and manner of recognizing each other in the dark as well as in the light. The EA, FC & MM word and the manner in which they are given/recieved is inviolable to each of us. Though others may believe they know these things, it is our sworn obligation not to confirm or deny their suspicions. These are the only true secrets of Freemasonry that any of us need to keep. All that we do beyond these simple confidence’s should be told and retold to all that show an interest. Our cause is to good a one not to be spread throughout the world and for all mankind to emulate. “And thus through a succession of ages, are transmitted, unimpaired, the most excellent tenets of our Institution.”
In most rituals from the U.K., the “secrets” are clearly defined and explained. They are signs, tokens and words.
However that seems a little too prosaic for some Masons.
I tend to disagree that everything that can be published about Freemasonry has already been done so. Every new generation sees the world with different eyes than those of the past, and they express their ideas in new and novel ways.
If as you contend, the secrets of Masonry are the state and nature of the divine, I fear that few possess the knowledge of how to pursue those secrets, let alone possess the secrets themselves. I have previously commented that I believe that American Freemasonry is stuck in a time warp; we have not progressed much beyond the 1950’s. We are not teaching newer Masons how to study the history and philosophy of Freemasonry and thereby grow our Craft into the future. Each successive year, we lose a little more of that ability, and each new generation of American Freemasons becomes less adept at moving our fraternity forward.
My question is, is American Freemasonry going to continue on this path of diminishing returns or will we witness a quantum shift in the Craft with the passing of the Greatest Generation?
@clinebo: Your opening statemnt tends to agree with mine over publication of information and opinion. My full comment, you will see above, states that there will still be variations on the theme, which is exactly what you write.
Divine is not a word that I used; the true secrets o Masonry, to me, are those emotions and experiences which each individual gains through the Craft, and each person learns and understands these secrets in a different way to the next man.
We, in Germany, are teaching new Masons the history and philosophy of Masonry wherever possible, as well as broadening our experiences through other subjects and areas of interest. Thus our Guest Evenings, once a month, have regular growth: men who are prepared to visit us each month for up to a year (or longer in a few cases) to see whether they are on the right path with our Lodge before being considered for Initiation. Each guest is treated as an individual, each Brother likewise; each must find their path from the past, from the present and into the future. We somewhat older, active, Masons ensure that all areas of our Craft are covered and that we don’t simply come together to drink a glass of wine and smoke a cigar.
In some areas in Germany Masonry is also stagnating – fortunately not in the Lodge where I work – and perhaps the true secrets have been misinterpreted in these Lodges; perhaps they are simply too old and set in their ways. The future, however, is still alive in our thoughts and actions and the secrets – for each Mason different – live.
I concur with them that suggest that secrecy came out of the tradition of the guilds of operative masons. In the operative tradition going back even to the Greeks, to betray the knowledge of the golden means use and creation was forbdden. Add to this some oppression from forces against freethinking and presto, we have a need for its continuance.
Why not share the secrets of the universe? When the student is ready, the teacher will appear. When approached by an individual with an honest question, I share the honest with an honest answer.
Is it not an obligation to share insight and knowledge?
My Brother
We took theas oath not the world at large.
We up hold them to each other as for the cat being now out of the bag thanks in large part due to all of the www/.com this or that. The world may look in on us at there will.This in no way should take from us the true part of being a Freemason.Other can look at will at what we say and do but thay in no way have been given the light!
In my personal experience so far within Freemasonry as I have progressed through various degrees from “Entered Apprentice” through “Order Of The Temple” in the York Rite, it has been become pretty clear what I should and what I should not disclose. I heard a great line on one of the TV-based (History/Learning/Discover/Whatever Channel) shows about Freemasonry which is basically paraphrased as this:
“Anyone can go online, into a bookstore, or into a library and find pretty much all the secrets of Freemasonry. But I made a promise not to reveal them, so I will not.”
That pretty much sums it up for me.
We all swore an oath to up hold the secrets of Freemasonry, regardless if these very secrets are available online for the world to see. For me whether or not these secrets are available the experience of going through the initiations of meeting and greeting new Brothers, cannot be duplicated no matter how detailed or graphic or instructive the information online is. Even if someone practices the tokens and words we know its how its given and there are experiences during an initiation which never makes it into books.
All this is on the individual mason, who through strict trial and due examination will determine if anyone he meets in the broader world who boasts an emblem/ring or declare themselves to be a mason, is truly a brother and can only know that through a strict adherence in the practice of his craft. Nuff said!
It seems to me that the “Secret of Freemasonry” is that of an individual belief. Each of us came to Freemasonry in our own way and our own time. Yes, we are not to revieal what happens at a meeting but the community I live in knows we help out the town and it’s residents with out question. The tokens grips and passwords only allow someone to sit in a room. The internal desire the belief that helps us grow is each Brother’s Secret. Some of the Brothers don’t even know what theirs is. The funny thing about it is people who “watch” what Freemasons do usually come to the same conclusion. It is the fact that these men are usually the one trying to help someone else without any. Personal gain. They do this because they know it is the correct thing to do. Each Brother has a great weight upon his shoulders as his actions reflect on so many he has never met. The Fraturnity is not a Secret one as most people can identify the square and compass quite readily. It is the faith of its membership and the strength that is in it for one another.
It is the same secret one Marie has for another or firefighter or policeman or any group that has a common goal. It is the strength we reap from the greater good. Again it is very personal to each individual.
Travel well,