Author: Abu Raef
Freemasonry (part 18)
Indications of Masonic Symbols and Numbers
The Symbol of the Square and the Compass
This symbol holds an important and distinguished place in Masonic thought.
Two meanings are mentioned for it:
The outward meaning, which refers to the tools of the profession of architecture and masonry, as a reminder of the construction of Solomon’s Temple.
The inner meaning, which refers to the relationship between the Creator and the created, because it symbolizes two opposing angles:
The first angle is directed from bottom to top and symbolizes the relationship of the earth with the heaven.
The second angle is from top to bottom and symbolizes the relationship of the heaven with the earth.
Therefore, the square symbolizes the measurement of the earth, and the compass symbolizes the measurement of the heaven.
The symbolism of the square and the compass also represents the fraternal nature of Masonic members.
The square symbolizes honesty, truth, virtue, steadfastness in method and law, and the Masonic brother’s commitment to them in order to attain the desired perfection. [1]
The compass symbolizes restraining desires and preventing emotions from exceeding their limits, especially in interaction with others and particularly with brothers.
Between the square and the compass, the English letter G is seen, regarding which Masons differ in interpretation:
Some consider it the first letter of the word God (“the Supreme Creator” or “Allah”).
Others regard it as the first letter of the word Geometry.
Another group engages in deeper analyses and believes that this letter goes back to the number 6, which has its root in the word Gematria; that is, the thirty-two laws that Jewish rabbis established for interpreting the Holy Book around 200 BCE.
Another group believes that the letter G represents the planet Venus (the Morning Star), which is also considered one of the names of Satan, and among Masons it is a symbol of the god Baphomet the same god whom the Knights Templar were previously accused by Philip IV, the King of France, of secretly worshipping.
This name is also the title of one of the Jewish ancestors known as (Anat Molek Anamim), whose symbol is the head of a goat, and who is the embodiment of Satan, that is, Lucifer, the angel of light cast out of heaven, about whom it is said in the Book of Isaiah (14:12): “How you have fallen from heaven, O Venus, son of the morning! How you have been cut down to the ground, O crusher of nations!” [2]
To be continued…
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References:
- Benoist, Luc, Signs, Symbols, and Myths, p. 65, Owaydat Publications, Beirut, Lebanon, first edition, 2001.
- Indications of Sacred Symbols and Numbers in Masonic Thought, p. 212.
