Unlocking the Symbols of Freemasonry: A 12‑Part Journey

Symbols are humanity’s oldest language, and Freemasonry still speaks it today.

From the square and compass to the mosaic pavement, each emblem carries lessons that reach beyond the lodge walls. These symbols are not relics of the past. They are living guides, shaping how we see ourselves, our communities, and the world around us.

In 2026, I invite you to join me on a year‑long journey: a 12‑part series exploring the symbols of Freemasonry. Each month, we will unlock one symbol, tracing its history, meaning, and relevance for modern life. Together, we’ll discover how these timeless emblems continue to illuminate our path in a world that often feels uncertain and divided.

Why We Use Symbols

Symbols have been with us since the dawn of humanity, long before the written word. Early people carved marks into stone, painted figures on cave walls, and arranged objects to carry meaning. These images spoke across generations, telling stories of survival, belief, and community without a single line of text.

As societies grew, symbols became practical tools. In towns where many could not read, shopkeepers put signs outside their businesses with images: a butcher’s cleaver, a candle maker’s taper, a baker’s loaf. These simple pictures told customers what they would find inside, no words required. And in the great churches and cathedrals, stained glass windows carried the same principle on a grander scale. For the majority who could not read, these windows were more than decoration. They were teaching tools, allowing people to see and understand the valuable lessons of scripture through color and light.

Even today, we live in a world of symbols. A red cross instantly signals “hospital” or “First aid.” A swoosh on a shoe identifies Nike. An apple with a bite taken out of it points to one of the world’s largest technology companies. And in our daily conversations, emojis have become a new symbolic language: tiny faces and icons that condense feelings, humor, and meaning into a single glance.

A symbol is powerful because it condenses complex ideas into simple visual cues that transcend language and culture.

Freemasonry, too, speaks in this ancient language. Its symbols are not relics of a forgotten age. They are part of this enduring human tradition: a way to teach, to remind, and to inspire. They are lessons in morality, balance, and brotherhood, expressed in forms that reach beyond words.

A Peek Behind the Curtain

Freemasonry has long been called a “secret society.” Well, here’s the secret: the symbols aren’t locked away at all. They’re right in front of us, teaching lessons anyone can learn, universal truths for Masons and non‑Masons alike. But the real secrets? Sorry, those stay in the vault. 

The Roadmap Ahead

Here is the path we will follow:

• February: The Square and Compass – moral guides and their enduring symbolism.

• March: The Plumb Line-Standing Upright When No One is Watching.

• April: Living On the Level: From Lodge to Life.

• May: The Trowel: Building with Brotherly Love.

• June: The Rough Ashlar

• July: The Perfect Ashlar and the Man Were Becoming. 

• August: The Light We Seek. 

• September: Across the Checkered Pavement: A Masons Walk Through Light and Darkness.

• October: The Pillars – strength, establishment, and wisdom.

• November: The Mosaic Pavement – duality, harmony, and balance.

• December: The Point Within a Circle – boundaries, focus, and spiritual center.

• The titles may change for October, November and December. I haven't written them yet.

A Living Tradition

Freemasonry is often described as a system of morality, veiled in allegory and illustrated by symbols. This series will lift that veil, not to diminish the mystery, but to show its relevance. The symbols of Freemasonry are not locked in ritual. They are alive in how we act, speak, and build together.

We live in a time when division is tearing at the fabric of society, and unity has never been more essential. These emblems remind us of balance, fairness, courage, and love. They are tools not only for the lodge but for life.

Invitation

Join me each month as we unlock a new symbol of Freemasonry. Together, we’ll discover how these timeless emblems continue to illuminate our path in the modern world. May the square remind us of fairness, the compass of boundaries, the plumb line of integrity, and the mosaic pavement of harmony. The work of building is never finished, and the symbols of Freemasonry remain our guides.

Symbols are humanity’s oldest language, and in Freemasonry they remain our clearest voice of unity.

Happy New Year 2026

 “As the clock strikes midnight, we pause as Brothers to honor the light we’ve shared and the work still before us. May the coming year find us steady in purpose, generous in service, and ever mindful of the obligations that bind us in friendship, morality, and brotherly love. Together, let us step into the new year with renewed strength, clearer vision, and hearts committed to building a better world.”

“Peace on Earth: A Freemason’s Reflection on Christmas”

 “Peace on Earth: A Freemason’s Reflection on Christmas”

A Freemason’s reflection on Christmas explores how ‘Peace on Earth, goodwill to men’ still calls us to live with kindness, fairness, and mercy in a season often overshadowed by commercialization.”

 

You know, when I was younger, I used to hear that phrase everywhere at Christmas: “Peace on Earth, Goodwill to Men.” It was in the Christmas carols you heard on the radio, on the Christmas cards you received, even painted across banners hanging on banks and hardware stores in town. Somewhere along the way, though, it feels like we stopped saying it. Christmas has certainly changed over the years. What was once a season centered on faith, reflection, and goodwill has, for many, become busier, flashier, and more commercial. A cultural holiday where the deeper spirit risks being overshadowed. And yet, I think it’s worth going back to the basics. That old phrase still has something to teach us.

At its heart, the word of the angels’ proclamation is about two things that belong together: peace and love. Peace isn’t just the absence of conflict, and love isn’t just a warm fuzzy feeling. As Bishop Robert Barron, echoing St. Thomas Aquinas, puts it: “To love is to will the good of the other.” And here’s the plain truth, sometimes wishing someone else’s good is difficult, even painful. It might mean forgiving someone who hurt us, listening patiently when we’d rather argue, or giving up our time when we’d rather be doing something else. Those moments of difficulty are where love proves itself real. And when love is lived out like that, peace begins to grow.

Jewish wisdom echoes the same message. Rabbi Akiva taught that “Love your neighbor as yourself” is the great principle of the Torah. Rabbi Elya Lopian explained that real love isn’t about what we take, but what we give, even when it’s hard. Across traditions, the message lines up: love is action, not emotion. And peace is the fruit of that action.

In Freemasonry, we call this Brotherly Love. It’s not just a nice phrase we say in Lodge; it’s a commitment to treat people with dignity and care. That means practicing three simple but powerful virtues:

• Kindness - showing warmth even to those who disagree with us.
• Fairness -by treating all people fairly.
• Mercy - forgiving when bitterness could take root.

Living those out isn’t always easy. Kindness can be difficult when someone has wronged us. Fairness can be painful when it means admitting we were wrong. Mercy can feel impossible when resentment seems justified. But those are the very moments when Brotherly Love shines the brightest. And when we choose it, we’re not just being “nice.” We’re building peace.

Think of the lodge as a lantern in the dark. Its light isn’t meant to be hidden, but to shine outward, guiding others toward reconciliation and renewal. When kindness tempers our words, when fairness shapes our judgments, and when mercy softens our hearts, we become builders of peace. The angels’ proclamation … “Peace on earth, goodwill to men”, is not just another seasonal slogan. It’s a blueprint. Goodwill is the action. Peace is the outcome.

Now this is where harmony comes in. Peace is the foundation, it is the quiet after the storm, the cease fire of the conflict. But harmony is what happens when differences don’t just stop clashing, they start blending. It’s like music: peace is silence, but harmony is the voices joining together in balance like a choir. Allowing us all to work together in unity.  In our lodges, homes, and communities, peace makes room for harmony, and harmony makes peace flourish.

Christmas itself is God’s great act of mercy by entering the world humbly, to will our good and bring peace. If we choose kindness, fairness, and mercy in our dealings with one another, we carry that same bright light into our dark and fractured world. And when we do, peace is no longer forgotten. It becomes visible again, alive in our homes, our lodges, and our communities.

So maybe this year, instead of just talking about peace, we can choose it. We can practice love even when it’s difficult or painful, and let that love bear the fruit of peace. We can carry that old phrase forward, not as nostalgia, but as a living truth. And if we do, then “peace on earth, goodwill to men” won’t be forgotten. It’ll be alive again… in us, through us, and all around us. That’s how Brotherly Love prevails. That’s how peace becomes real.

“Peace On Earth, Goodwill to Men”

A Flaming Tradition Lights the Lodge

Red Wing Lodge #8 enjoyed a spectacular treat last night as Brother Gary Thomas presented a masterfully prepared flaming Christmas pudding. The brilliant blue flame danced across the room, casting a warm glow that set the perfect holiday mood. More than dessert, it was a moment of fellowship and tradition, reminding us how shared rituals bring light and joy to the season.

My heartfelt thanks to Gary for sharing his talent and festive spirit, making the evening truly memorable.

Thanksgiving: The Day We Forgot to Remember

 

Between skeletons and snowmen, Thanksgiving seems to vanish. I walked into a store just before Labor Day and the aisles bursting with Halloween candy and costumes. A few weeks later, I returned for Halloween treats, only to find Christmas lights and artificial trees already on sale. Somewhere between the spooky and the sparkly, Thanksgiving got lost.

But it wasn’t always this way.

From the time the Pilgrims stepped onto Plymouth Rock, families gathered to share the bounty of their harvests, to break bread together, and to give thanks. For over three centuries, Thanksgiving was a sacred pause, a moment to recognize divine grace, to strengthen spiritual bonds, and to celebrate the ideals that helped a fledgling nation flourish: religious freedom, shared prosperity, safe harbor, and gratitude.

Now, Thanksgiving risks becoming just a springboard for the shopping season. November 27^th is less about reflection and more about strategy: planning routes and lining up for pre-Black Friday sales. As the football blares, the turkey roasts, and somewhere in the noise, the spirit of the day fades.

But I believe Thanksgiving still matters.

It should be a day when we gather, not just to nourish our bodies, but to feed our souls. A day to remember that gratitude is not seasonal. It’s foundational in our daily lives.

Not every Thanksgiving is “over the river and through the woods to Grandma’s house.” Some of us have eaten from a Mermite container dropped from a chopper at a Firebase overseas. Some have shared crackers in a hospital waiting room, or sat alone at a truck stop, a police station, or the Salvation Army. And yet, even in those places…Thanksgiving can live.

Gratitude doesn’t require perfection. It asks only presence.

I was reminded of this recently at a local restaurant. A young man sat beside me in a wheelchair; he had lost both legs and his right arm serving as a Marine in Iraq. We talked for a while, and then he said something that still moves me: “I’m just thankful I still have my eyesight. I thank God every day I’m alive.”

That’s Thanksgiving!

King David wrote in Psalm 100:4, “Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.” And Paul reminds us in Ephesians 5:20 to give thanks “always… for everything.”

As men of faith, we carry that spirit with us. Thanksgiving isn’t confined to a single Thursday. It’s a daily posture. A pilgrim’s pause. A moment to look beyond the rush, the noise, the ads, and to remember what truly sustains us.

So, this year, whether you’re at a grand table or in a quiet corner, may your heart be full. May your prayers be heartfelt. And may your gratitude echo in the footsteps of those first pilgrims, who paused, gave thanks, and lit a candle of tradition that still flickers today.

Veterans Day 2025 Thank You and Honoring All Who Served

Poster by the U.S. Veterans Administration

 

Tolerance Tuesday-Listening as a Masonic Discipline

In a world brimming with noise, the act of listening-truly listening-is a radical form of tolerance. Within Freemasonry, listening is more than courtesy. It is a discipline, a moral posture, and a sacred duty.

We are taught to meet on the level, act by the plumb, and part upon the square. But how often do we pause to hear, not just the words spoken, but the silences between them? How often do we listen with the intent to understand, rather than to reply?

 The Symbolic Silence

In Masonic ritual, silence is not emptiness...it is preparation. The candidate enters the Lodge in silence, blindfolded, guided by trust. Before he speaks, he listens. Before he is given light, he receives instruction. This symbolic silence teaches humility, receptivity, and the power of presence.

Listening is the first gesture of brotherhood. It is how we honor the dignity of another’s experience, even when it differs from our own.

 Listening as Labor

To listen well is to labor. It requires:

• Patience: Letting others finish their thoughts without interruption.

• Empathy: Hearing not just the words, but the emotions beneath them.

• Restraint: Holding back judgment, allowing space for truth to unfold.

• Curiosity: Asking questions that invite deeper understanding.

These are not passive traits...they are active disciplines. They mirror the working tools of the Mason: the square of fairness, the level of equality, the compasses of self-restraint.

 Listening Builds the Temple

When we listen, we build. We lay stones of trust, mortar of understanding, and arches of shared meaning. Listening is how we construct the invisible temple of fraternity, one conversation at a time.

In a divided world, listening is an act of repair. It is how we bridge generations, cultures, and creeds. It is how we embody the Masonic ideal: that truth, when spoken and heard in love, can unite what ignorance has divided.

 Reflection and Action

This week, consider:

• Who in your life needs to be heard—not advised, not corrected, but simply heard?

• What assumptions do you carry that silence another’s truth?

• How might your Lodge practice listening—not just in ritual, but in fellowship?

Let us be builders of understanding. Let us listen not just with ears, but with hearts attuned to the sacred dignity of every voice.

See You Next Tuesday.