on the Square
A point before starting is that all Masonic symbols are positive, none are aimed at anything that is not for the good of the mason as an individual, and through him, for the world at large. We degrade no symbol and none can ever be considered to be contrary to the high principles we extol.
Remember that there is no right or wrong to symbolism - it is what you accept as meaningful to you as a Craftsman. The following are my findings and interpretations and it is quite likely that you will have different interpretations.
The Master carries with him, a great symbol. It is one of the
immoveable jewels. The square is the symbol of regulated life and actions. It is the Masonic rule for correcting and harmonising
conduct of principles or morality and virtue, and as a symbol, it is dedicated to the Master. We also identify yourselves with this symbol, because we are taught that squares, levels and perpendiculars
are the proper signs to know a mason.
We are surrounded by squares in our Lodge for every mason wears at least one although the Immediate Past Master and the Past Masters wear
it most obviously. It stands, as one of the Great Lights, in the
centre of all our activities and its legs constantly embrace the
Worshipful Master. It is repeated in our F.C. salute, our feet
positions, our way of moving around the Lodge and our legs when at the altar in our initiation.
History tells us that the square, which is an upright with a right top arm, is the Greek letter gamma. Each one of us knows the meanings associated with the letter G. In the construction trade, the square is used for "trueing" stones and "proving" them correct. We can see how easily, the association with truth and virtue could arise. There was the historical belief that the shape of the ancient world was an oblong square and this is represented in our “squared Lodge”.
Please do not get me wrong here, the masons of the old knew that the earth is; as is the universe geometrical spheres, but to bring it down to the ordinary mason the one that was at the beginning taught the Earth is Flat.
There have been references to the square's meaning as a symbol long before the start of Masonry, as we know it. The Egyptians believed that truth and justice were 'on the square', Confucius in about 500 BC referred to the squareness of actions. Mencius, the Chinese
philosopher of about 372 BC refers to square actions. Simonides of Ceos, the Greek lyrical poet of about 600 BC and Aristotle in about 350 BC refer to 'square actions' and associate this with honest dealings, high morality and virtue.
The symbol is not original, it is certainly far from new, but it seems to have a remarkable consistency of meaning. If we move on to the Immediate Past Master's jewel for a moment we observe that it is identical to the Master's in shape except that pendant from it is the 47th problem of Euclid. It is important to remember that Euclid only proved the Pythagorean theorem about 300 years earlier. When you
consider what the theorem shows it is a multitude of further squares. Squares on sides, mathematically ‘squared' numbers and a central
closed square, about which all the ‘proof' stands. As an emphasis of the square symbol we could see nothing which could do it better. We should know that the properties of this triangular arrangement were first thought to be magical in the relationship they demonstrated. In addition, Pythagoras, being Greek, may have had the Greek
letter/symbol G in his mind when he is reputed to have exclaimed 'Eureka' and it is for us to decide if the utility or the symbolism had generated his joy.
We learn in our work that we are to be inspired to love the arts and sciences by this design and proof. We should always marvel that such a simple figure could have had such impact on our world and our Masonic World too.
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