Masonic vocabulary and words to know

 

The Weird words of Masonry

As an adult, a strong vocabulary is invaluable as it significantly improves your ability to

·         communicate effectively,

·         understand complex information,

·         express nuanced ideas,

·         build credibility in professional settings,

·         and navigate social interactions with greater confidence,

essentially acting as a key tool for personal and professional success in life.

Key benefits of a strong vocabulary as an adult:

Enhanced communication:

Precisely choosing the right words allows you to convey your thoughts and feelings clearly, leading to better understanding in conversations and written communication.

Professional advancement:

A rich vocabulary can make you appear more knowledgeable and articulate in meetings, presentations, and written reports, potentially leading to career opportunities.

Critical thinking:

When you understand the nuances of language, you can better analyze information, evaluate arguments, and form well-informed opinions.

Reading comprehension:

A larger vocabulary allows you to access and understand more complex texts, including academic papers, news articles, and literary works.

Social impact:

Being able to express yourself effectively in social situations can strengthen relationships and build connections with others.

Lifelong learning:

Actively expanding your vocabulary encourages continuous learning and intellectual curiosity.

Here is a list of some words used in Masonic rituals that would be good starter words to know.

ineffable -too sacred to be spoken,

immemorial -beyond memory,

sublime -lofty or exalted,

inculcated -deeply taught,

indissoluble -unbreakable,

manifold -many parts,

meridian -midpoint,

profane -a person whose behavior is not respectful, irreverent, for masons that is a non-Mason

approbation -Approval, commendation, or praise; a formal or official act of approval.

clandestine -kept secret or secretively, for masons it is an irregular lodge or group claiming to be masonic but not recognized as regular by a Grand Lodge. 

Cleave -To come apart from; separate into distinct parts.  Biblically the word is also used to mean its opposite, that is, to cling together.

Dimit -An obsolete word that means to dismiss, let go, or release

Dotage -the period of life in which a person is old and weak

It is said that no old man in dotage can become a Mason.  This means not simply old age, but a decline of mental faculties, senile decay that would interfere with a candidate's free judgment and thereby make his candidacy questionable.  Once a man is raised a master mason he can become as dotty as he wants.

Emulation -. Friendly rivalry, a desire to equal or excel others in achievement without jealousy or envy.  In the British Masonic tradition, the word emulation refers to the ritual itself.

Esoteric - Of a hidden nature, private.   Masonic secrets are best understood not as information to be kept from the public, but as mysteries.  These are the truly esoteric aspects of Freemasonry - the mystery of moral self-transformation.  The term esoteric should not be take to mean either occult or hard to understand. 

Fiat - An authoritative decree, sanction, or order; a command or act of will that creates something without, or as if without, further effort; a decree or order.

Fool - It is said that a fool cannot become a mason.  The old usage of fool means someone mentally incompetent, someone whose free choice to become a mason, and ability to keep the obligations to secrecy are in question.

High Priest – or High Priest and prophet in Grotto.

A title used for the presiding officer of a Royal Arch Chapter.  As Masonry is not a religion, it has no actual priesthood and in fact any sort of priesthood in the ordinary sense would be in contradiction to the philosophy of Freemasonry which is strictly anti-authoritarian and egalitarian and which leaves each man's relationship to the Deity to his own conscience.  The reason such terms as priest are used are the same as titles such as King, Prince, or Knight -- taking titles from the old order of feudal nobility and using them symbolically.  All Masonic offices are both practical and symbolic.

Masonic Light - a phrase referring to the spiritual and moral illumination that is the goal of the craft's rituals and degrees.  Each master mason, having received the three degrees, must then pursue that Light in his own way.  One purpose of masons' gathering in the lodge is to share knowledge and ideas and to encourage each other to persevere in that search for further light, further understanding of oneself, life, and the universe.  Masonic degrees are cermonies exemplifying the reception of Divine inspiration and illumination.

Masonic Intercourse - It means any communication of the esoteric or secret portions of the ritual.  When a brother is admonished not to engage in masonic intercourse with a member of a clandestine lodge that means he is not to reveal any of the secret signs, tokens, or words, or other secret arts, parts, or points of regular masonic rituals.

Obligation - A mason makes solemn vows upon a Volume of Sacred Law as part of his initiation into each degree.  These promises are called his obligation.  The word might be thought of as synonymous with vow or promise but it is chosen because it points to the verb oblige.  To be obliged to do something is to be bound to do it.  The word comes to English from Latin ob+ligere, meaning to bind.  In English the word also carries the meaning of to do someone a favor.  The mason obliges himself to keep his promises to his brothers and most especially to devote himself to the work of becoming a better man and helping others.

Operative Masons vs. Speculative Masons -This term is used to distinguish Masons engaged in spiritual pursuits and allegorical rituals from stonemasons who actually build stone buildings.  There is some evidence that elements of speculative Freemasonry originated with the operative stonemasons, so it should not be thought that the distinction has always been clear cut.  It is no doubt true, however, that any Freemason will benefit from actually working with straightedge, plumb, level, trowel, or setting maul, to gain a deeper understanding of how the working tools of the operative masons serve as metaphors for philosophy.

Sublime - Lofty, grand, or exalted in thought, expression, or manner; of outstanding spiritual, intellectual, or moral worth; tending to inspire awe.  Used in, for example, the expression, the sublime degree of master mason, the word implies that this third degree is the highest degree of the Craft.

Worshipful -  Honored and respected.  Used in Masonry in terms such as Worshipful Master -the head of a lodge.  Masons who have served their lodge as the Worshipful Master are given, when they retire, to the rank of Past Master, the honorific Worshipful Brother as a form of address.  This is to distinguish that other brothers of the lodge respect and appreciate their past service.  The word worship has fallen out of use in American English almost entirely except as a religious term for one's attitude towards the Deity.  That was not its meaning in the seventeenth century, as one can see in older forms of address such as Your worship or Your excellency.  High-sounding forms of address and titles -King, Prince, Knight, High Priest are ubiquitous in Freemasonry, but it should not be imagined that they are more than simple courtesies on the one hand, and symbolic titles on the other.