We Meet by the Light of the Moon

 

We Meet by the light of the Moon

During the early development of Freemasonry many Masonic Lodges in the 18^th century organized their lodge meetings nights to coincide with the phase of the full moon. This had a lot to do with the fact that most roads were unpaved, muddy, rutted and especially treacherous in rain or snow. Towns and the countryside were pitched dark after sunset due to no street lighting. Members often lived miles away and their journey was on foot, horseback or wagon. Then the wild terrain of forests, rivers, and hills added to the difficulty.

Lodges met on full moon nights so Brothers traveling by foot, horseback, or wagon could navigate by its glow.

We in the 21^st century have become disconnected and unfamiliar from the natural world. Screen time has replaced outdoor time.  People today that live in cities spend 90 percent of their time indoors. Where our Brothers before us looked to the natural world to build their understanding of the universe they found themselves in. So, we have difficulty understanding the need for a Moon or Lunar Lodge.

To help us understand better how getting to lodge in the early 1900s was much more difficult than today. Let me tell you the story of my great uncle Nels Paul Jensen. A Master Mason of Doric Lodge #87 in Wells, Minnesota.

He lived on a farm that was four and a half miles away from Lodge on a dirt country road, or three miles if he walked cross country.

For six months of the year, it was dark when he left his house to go to lodge, and always dark for the return trip.

Having the moon casting its cold gentle glow just bright enough that you can make out the path ahead of you is a great aid to getting to your destination safely.

He owned two plow horses. During Farming season, he needs his horses to be fresh the next day to work. So Spring, Summer and Fall he walked through fields, a pasture that contained a bull, around a wet land and a small forest.   

During the Winter, he would mount his horse and wrap a blanket around himself for extra warmth during his journey. When he got to Lodge. He would put his blanket on the horse and would go inside.

The monthly fee for each member was a nickel. That included a sandwich, cup of coffee and a handful of oats for the horse.

In bad weather during the winter his wife would walk up the driveway and hang a lantern at the edge of the road, so he could find his house. During one bad snowstorm he missed the house. He was half frozen to death and managed to find a neighbor’s home where he sought shelter till morning.

The Moon didn’t just light his path; it shaped the world around him. Its gravity pulls at the earth’s oceans, creating tides that rise and fall. Its phases mark time, guiding farmers, travelers and ritual keepers for centuries. Because it’s tidally locked, we always see the same face as a steady companion in the night sky. And though it doesn’t shine on its own, it reflects sunlight with quiet grace. For our Masonic forefathers, the Moon wasn’t just a light source. It was a calendar, a compass and a symbol of order in a wild and unpredictable world.

The Moons influence didn’t end at the Lodge door. In our Masonic ritual, it is honored as one of the great lights, not because it shines on its own, but because it reflects the light of the Sun. Just as the Worshipful Master governs the Lodge with wisdom and authority, the Moon governs the night with borrowed light, offering quiet guidance in darkness. It reminds us that leadership is not always about brilliance, but about reflection, receiving light, tempering it with understanding, and casting it gently for others to follow. For Moon Lodges, this symbolism wasn’t abstract. It was lived. The Moon marked the meeting date, lit the journey, and echoed the lessons taught beneath its glow.

Today we have paved roads, heated cars and GPS, and yet we still lose members to Netflix binges, takeout dinners, and the comfort of the couch.

At one time in America there were a little over 3,000 Moon Lodges. They were mostly found in the rural areas. The decline of Moon Lodges began in the 1920s with the invention of modern conveniences such as electric lights, the automobile and better roads. Grand Lodges started mandating Lodges to have a fixed date each month to ensure uniformity.

Many Lodges today continue to embrace the tradition of the Moon Lodges. The last count in 2015 there are still 129 in the United States. Leading the way with Texas and Pennsylvania at 19 Lodges each.

Ohio has twelve. Ohio has a program that celebrates its Moon lodges. When a Ohio Mason visits all twelve. He receives a beautiful “Masonic Moon Light Journey certificate.

Here closer to home. We have Accacia Lodge #51 is the only Minnesota Moon Lodge. My first visit to Accacia Lodge was a memorable evening. As I was driving at night it was one of those beautiful subzero Minnesota nights. The moon was full and bright in the night sky. With no clouds to hinder it. Its soft silver light spread across the landscape. I could see a large jack rabbit and pheasants in a field covered in snow.

Following the stated meeting and a wonderful dinner. The Masters and Wardens informed me that I was welcome to come back anytime. There meetings were always held on Tuesday closest to the full moon. I promised I would come back but would purchase a Farmers Almanac so I could determine the Moon phase so I could plan. The room nodded in agreement and laughed. The Master presented me with a key fob. On the back side all the dates of the full moon were printed on it to help myself and the members to remember the Stated Meeting nights.

For those of you who are interested in a little Moon Lodge trivia. There are two types of Moon Lodges. O.B. and O.A.

The Lodge will declare a specific day of the week. They will meet on that day either on or before or after the full moon.

Example: Wednesday on or before the full moon-O.B.

                 Wednesday on or after the full moon-O.A.

Strafford #562 Lodge in Ravenna Kentucky is an O.B. Moon lodge that meets on the Saturday before the full moon.

For a couple of hundred years, Moon Lodges have stirred the imagination. Giving rise to tall tales, whispered rumors, and elaborate wild theories about what they think really happens when Freemasons gather beneath a full moon. Some of these stories are playful, and others drift off into the realm of the weird. Before we return to the truth lets take a moment to walk thru of the more colorful claims that have echoed through time.

1.     The Witchcraft Theory: That Moon Lodges meetings were actually covert male covens, practicing ritual magic and summoning spirits under the cover of darkness and lunar light.

2.     The Werewolf Connection: That Freemasons were tied to ancient werewolf legends, using moonlit rituals to transform themselves into werewolves.

3.     The Cosmic Portal Hypothesis: Those Masons who have received the higher degrees, perform secret lunar rites that opened portals of cosmic communications attracting UFOs and extraterrestrials

4.     Hidden Temples and Lunar Maps: Some say Moon Lodges were built to line up with the stars or moon phases. Like secret beacons pointing to ancient temples or underground chambers. According to myths, symbols in the lodge like stained glass or floor designs are maps that lead to hidden places or unlock cosmic secrets. The full moon is said to activate these clues, revealing paths known only to high-ranking Masons. 

If there’s a cosmic portal in my lodge, it’s probably buried somewhere in the 1970s carpet. I swear the pattern shifts when the moons full…ha 

Now sometimes the truth is stranger than fiction. Believe it or not there is only one truly recognized Masonic lunar Lodge, and it’s located on the moon. This Lodge is called Tranquility Lodge #2000 and is chartered by the Grand Lodge of Texas which has symbolically claimed Masonic jurisdiction over the moon.  

Now for the rest of the story…

 We must revisit one of the most pivotal moments in human history, we must return to July 1969 and the Apollo 11 mission to the Moon. On July 20, 1969, more than 600 million people around the world watched Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first humans to set foot on the lunar surface. I vividly recall our family gathered around the television, collectively holding our breath while watching the grainy black-and-white transmission from the Sea of Tranquility. It was an extraordinary moment, one in which we were privileged to witness a truly unprecedented milestone in the advancement of human exploration.

As millions of us watched the first humans walk on the Moon, Master Mason Buzz Aldrin laid a new cornerstone for the future of Freemasonry. Brother Aldrin, a member of Clear Lake Lodge No. 1417 in Seabrook, Texas, carried with him a document signed by Grand Master J. Guy Smith of the Grand Lodge of Texas. This Special Deputation designated Aldrin as a Special Deputy, granting him authority to claim the Moon, and specifically the Sea of Tranquility as Masonic territorial jurisdiction for the Grand Lodge of Texas.

To commemorate this historic event and symbolically establish Freemasonry on the Moon, Tranquility Lodge No. 2000 was chartered. Today, its meetings are held at various locations across Texas, on the planet earth with its annual gathering in Waco. The lodge currently boasts a membership of 1,200.

The Moon still rises, whether we notice or not. For our Masonic forebears, it was more than a light in the sky, it was a companion, a calendar, a quiet guide. It lit the path to Lodge, marked the rhythm of meetings, and echoed the lessons taught within. Today, we have paved roads, heated cars, and glowing screens. But the Moon still reflects the light of the Sun, just as the Worshipful Master reflects wisdom within the Lodge. Its presence reminds us that leadership, like tradition, is not always loud, sometimes it’s gentle, steady and silver-lit.

In Conclusion…I think of my great uncle Nels, walking through the fields and forests, guided by moonlight and memory. And I think of the key fob handed to me at Accacia Lodge, printed with the dates of the full moon, a quiet reminder to return. It’s more than a calendar. It’s a symbol of connection; between past and the present, between Brothers who walked muddy roads and those who drive the highways, between the light we follow and the light we reflect. The Moon still shines. And for those who choose to look up, it still leads the way.

“For more historical threads like this one, you might enjoy my other explorations of Masonic heritage.”