If there were a Venn diagram describing the relationships between secret societies, the Freemasons would undoubtedly be at the center of it. Are they the secret cabal behind every revolution, the insidious puppet masters of the world bank, or simply a harmless fraternal order of benevolent old men? With its persistent secrecy and vast, venerable history, it would take volumes to capture the full story of Freemasonry, and as such, the answers to these questions may remain murky. However, in as much as this brief article may allow, we can explore the fundamentals of what the Freemasons are—and are not.
The origins of Freemasonry are, in short, unknown. The first Grand Lodge was formed in London in 1717. This implies the existence of smaller, independent lodges that no doubt preceded it. It is impossible to date these early lodges with any accuracy, though the formation of the Grand Lodge generally marks their arrival on the world stage. A fair, if vague, assessment would be that Freemasonry evolved from the outpouring of science and philosophy during the Renaissance, particularly that of alchemy. The oppression of religious and political institutions necessitated discretion in disseminating many of these ideas, and so, establishing small and secretive groups under the guise of something innocuous, like a social club, made a lot of sense.
Freemasonry also has another origin story. According to Masonic lore, their history begins with the ancient stonemasons’ guilds. Allegedly, these guilds were in possession of advanced trade skills and divine secrets, such as those used to create the ancient wonders of the world. It’s a story best told in the initiation rite to the third degree of Freemasonry, where the initiate reenacts the murder of the Widow’s Son, master stonemason Hiram Abiff.
In the allegory, Hiram Abiff, chief architect of Solomon’s Temple, is accosted in the courtyard of the temple by three workers demanding his secret phrase. He is struck three times at the three gates of the temple, before being killed by his assailants. The initiate plays the part of Hiram and is expected to learn the importance of loyalty, keeping secrets, and the certainty of death.
Freemasonry has always been steeped in arcane ritual and secrecy, and for that reason, it has often been viewed dubiously by outsiders. In the modern era, the Freemasons are frequently credited as conspirators in the American Revolution, with their fingerprints allegedly all over everything from the Constitution to the design of the dollar bill. Beyond being low-hanging fruit for History Channel conspiracy theorists, it’s hard to ignore the list of founding fathers who donned a Masonic apron. But is there any truth to this?
A short answer would be yes—Freemasonry did have an influence on the formation of the United States, but context is everything. At the time of the Revolution, Freemasonry was exploding across Europe and the Colonies. It was the premier venue for philosophical, scientific, political, and religious discussion, outside the scrutiny of church or state. It stands to reason that men having strong opinions on these topics would gravitate to such a group. By default, it was the perfect and safest environment for discussing revolution.
It’s hard to divorce the idea that Freemasonry had some part in engineering the United States as a nation. Our first president and many founding fathers were Freemasons. In that regard, the influence of Freemasonry is undisputed. But as a singular entity orchestrating the revolution with world domination in mind? Not so much.
In many ways, the time of the American and French revolutions represents the golden age of Freemasonry. In terms of progressive thinking, it seems to have been their high-water mark. It is important to note that Freemasonry has historically been dominated by white men. To this day, the central branch of Freemasonry does not allow women among its ranks, and until recently, African Americans were long relegated to their own branch, known as Prince Hall Masonry. The accusation of Freemasonry being an institution of the white patriarchy is historically hard to refute, regardless of their outward benevolence.
Modern Freemasonry, with the possible exception of their allegorical rituals and extremely secretive nature, bears little resemblance to the lodges of the 18th and 19th centuries. One principal difference is the esoteric spirituality of the group. One of the founding principles of Freemasonry is the belief in a supreme power in the universe. In practice, this is not so much religious as it is an acceptance of all faiths as being compatible with each other. That said, early Freemasonry is known to have practiced tenets of what would now be described as Western Hermeticism or Spirituality.
Western Hermeticism, an umbrella term for a range of mystical and philosophical traditions, encompasses elements of ancient Egyptian, Greek, and early Christian thought, focusing on the pursuit of hidden wisdom, the development of spiritual knowledge, and the transformation of the self. This overlap in philosophy is shared by other infamous secret societies, such as the Rosicrucians, the Illuminati, the Golden Dawn, and many others. To what degree these groups influenced each other is certainly debatable, though they all find a common relative in Freemasonry.
It’s not difficult to imagine how the Freemasons became the bogeymen of conspiracy theorists; they practically invite it with their prolific membership and absurdly secret rituals. When you consider their affiliations, history, and international clout, it’s hard to conclusively close the door on all the fantastic theories.
Personally, I believe that conspiracies of the magnitude credited to the Freemasons would require an enormous and dedicated consensus among their members—a consensus that I just don’t think is possible. One needs only to look at the Civil War and the Masonic views on either side of the conflict to understand just how divided they can be. Today, there are thousands of Masonic lodges across the world, and even the members of one of them to agree on how to rule the world would be shocking, let alone all of them. If it’s an international puppet master you’re looking for, the modern Freemasons probably aren’t holding those strings.
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Jason Roberts is a Seattle-based author noted for his acclaimed western horror series The Dead Wind Trilogy as well as other works of cosmic horror infused with historical fiction. His web-based series, Dark Distractions examines paranormal mysteries, unexplained phenomena, and all things strange.
