The Point Within a Circle

A point withing a Circle Freemasons

As Masons, we are all introduced during our ritual lectures to the Masonic symbol of the Point Within a Circle, and instructed in its’ allusion. The most interesting thing to me during my own such introduction was that the figure representing this symbol contained not only a point within a circle, but also two straight vertical lines touching the sides of the circle. It was explained during the ensuing lecture that these lines represented the two Holy Saints John, namely John the Baptist, and John the Evangelist. This struck me as peculiar to say the least, and I have been trying to figure out this peculiarity ever since.

The Blazing Star

Blazing star e897a92bcef903116495f308a8fb2bd35c277f09

there has been very little agreement among our scholars either as to its (the letter ‘G’) origin or to its meaning. Usually, we can hit upon the manner in which a symbol was introduced into the Ritual by studying the records of the early eighteenth century in England, at which time and place the Ritual was cast in its modern form, but such a study cannot help us here because the eighteenth century Masons were themselves confused about the matter

Kipling and the Craft

Image of Rudyard Kipling who wrote thhis Tylers Toast

The need for this further essay was first made apparent to me when—in my capacity as Secretary of the Lodge and Editor of the Transactions—I began to receive inquiries from Brethren as far away as Vancouver and Singapore, asking for materials and information which might help them to complete their own papers on Kipling, and I found, to my surprise, that while our library contains a great deal of relevant material, there has never been a paper on Kipling in our Transactions.

Freemasonry and Initiation

Square and compasses in Red

The concept of what constitutes a man is time honored and tested. The traditional role of men has been essential to the development and maintenance of society. Learning to think for ourselves, to form our own judgments, to trust our decisions, to comprehend, to expand our knowledge, to choose this course of action over that, to decide between good and bad, have through the millennia been recognized as the attributes that define a man.

The Perfect Points of Entrance

Square and Compasses

In modern day Freemasonry clear reference is made to the perfect points of reference in the rituals in the United States of America: “Were I to ask you how I should know you to be a Mason, your answer should be: “By certain signs, a token, a word, and the points of my entrance.” The signs, token, and word have already been explained to you at the Altar

1813 Revival by Sussex of Restoration Chapter No 1 – 1769

Holy Royal Arch

Records of Royal Arch activity in England, in today’s Supreme Grand Chapter, start with the entry in the first minute book of the unnamed ‘Excellent Grand and Royal Chapter’. They are dated 22 March 1765 and show the first meeting to have been held at the mysterious and still unidentified Mr Inge’s premises, until the move to The Turk’s Head in Gerrard Street, Soho, London on 12 June of the same year. It took a further four years before Supreme Grand Chapter issued warrants establishing the first new Chapters under the jurisdiction of the Order.