Our Tradition
Freemasonry, and the Scottish tradition in which our Lodge works.
Freemasonry is first of all an alliance between free men from all creeds and from all social horizons. Based on tolerance, it is enriched with this confessional and social diversity which lights up into a common cause: that of following one’s own path towards self perfection.
For this, Freemasonry furnishes Symbolic and Traditional tools to anyone who would like to improve himself. It is with an experience of life and a teaching of moral conduct where one can attain improvement by one’s self.
It is a brotherhood which permits to enrich oneself from others’ experiences and to reply practically to problems about which our epoch poses to each and everyone across a multitude of points of view. “Modernity” is no longer associated to a monolithic idea but takes into account the complexity and the richness of our various connections.
It is a spiritual step, structured in as much as a humane organization and as a way of life. The Masonic Organization is there to assure freedom and independence in one’s work as well as securing collective support. The road is made of stages which permit regular progress without any possibility of conferring powers.
With this mixture of individual liberty and Tradition, which could seem surprising, Freemasonry has been able to survive intact from the 18th Century until now, remaining simultaneously unchanged and yet never old-fashioned.
The General Principles we subscribe to: freimaurerei.ch/en/general-principles ↗
The word “moral”, thrown away at a certain epoch as dogmatic and taken back today in the name of “ethics”, covers several meanings. In the Masonic way of personal perfection, it can signify something quite simple and takes a part of this work towards liberty, thereby knowing how to put our thoughts and acts into concert. This agreement is far from being easy to do within the context of contemporary life and needs courage.
In searching one’s perfection, it is important to find a group of people to exchange ideas on the same route, give support to each other, and to try the virtue of tolerance. It’s because Freemasonry is a brotherhood being the consequence of working together and being the ways and means of advancing each one on his route. This brotherhood is a deeply felt link which ties us to other men whether they be Freemasons or not.
Modern man must think on a world scale; he must look further afield through racial, philosophical and religious barriers which often separate him from others. Dogmatism in all its forms can only be negative in today’s world. Freemasonry is an experience which shows that universality is not, and indeed should not be, synonym to uniformity, but to the contrary.
In order to succeed in maintaining such diversity in harmony, traditional Freemasonry calls upon the superior principle which surpasses the material, social and religious reality. Certain people would call it “God”, others “Energy”, but we in Masonry would call the “Grand Architect of the Universe” in order not to enter into futile discussions. The combination of faith in a superior being or principle and a method of self perfection turns it into a spiritual approach in its largest sense.
Freemasons work together in Lodges which in themselves are formed into Grand Lodges or Grand Orients. Each Lodge consists of a committee (college) and a president (Worshipful Master) just as in any society. In the same vein Grand Lodges have a Grand College. This structure does not set up a hierarchy but an organization. The College has the role of coordinating the work in Lodge as well as the Grand Lodges co-ordinate the Lodges’ activities. In order to ensure that this organization should not install any kind of individual authority within itself, the Colleges and Grand Colleges are elected compulsorily at regular intervals. The absolute principle is: “Free Masons in Free Lodges”. The Freemason must obey only to one thing: the obligation that he has made within himself; to work towards his own perfection with respect to his own movement, which he has chosen to do himself in complete freedom.
The Masonic method is structured with three systems of grades or degrees: the ritual. The richness of the allegories is immense, because one can only advance step by step, the Masonic method being structured with a system by degrees constituting the number of steps to be taken. The fact of having accomplished a step does not confer any superiority on those who have not yet attained it, if only to have the duty to help them to advance too. Each Grade has its own experience and symbolism on which the Freemason is called upon to meditate.
© by the Grand Lodge ALPINA of Switzerland
It is not clear exactly when Freemasonry began but it is widely accepted to have originated from the stonemason trade guilds of the Middle Ages, referred to as Incorporated Trades or Crafts.
The term “incorporated” comes from the fact that these various craft organizations held Royal charters, or ‘Seals of Cause’ which allowed them to work exclusively within the Royal Burghs in the Middle Ages. The language and symbols used in Freemasonic rituals today come from these older craft bodies.
The earliest use of the term Freemason dates from around 1390 but referred purely to operative members. Prior to the formalization of Freemasonry as we know it however, Scotland was already beginning to see a shift during the 17th century where more and more non-operative members were joining the old trade institutions. Throughout the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries in particular, the fraternity expanded across Europe and the Americas leading to the position today where you will find lodges globally.
The original Masonic guilds were ‘operative’, in other words, concerned with the operating of the craft of stonemasonry. Modern Masons are ‘allegorical’ in that the rituals and ceremonies are symbolic. The Masonic lodges today are about mutual fellowship, support and charitable work.
In the Middle Ages, craft guilds were an important part of society. The word ‘guild’ comes from the Saxon word gilden, meaning to pay. A group of craftsmen would form a guild and charge a membership fee to join. Membership was restricted, and the various guilds worked together to set prices and ensure that the secrets of the trades were not spread outside the guild. There were two stages, or degrees, required to become a full member of a trade guild. Firstly, the Apprentice stage where a young boy would train under a Journeyman for many years, usually seven and often for board and lodgings only. To become qualified, he would present a Master Piece to the Incorporated Trade, in order to prove that he had reached a suitably high standard. On their approval he would only then become a Journeyman and be able to earn a good salary.
Some have referred to the 18th century as the age of Freemasonry. It was certainly the age of Fraternalism with many new organizations promoting mutual aid and encouragement. The 18th century was very much a time of change, the age of ‘Enlightenment’. With this change, however, came revolution. Some Freemasons on the continent became even more secretive than previously to escape the effects of persecution from the authorities. Handshakes and other modes of recognition which had been used by the trade crafts to identify each other became even more important as did the ideals of equality and fraternity. Many historical Enlightenment figures were Freemasons who became involved on both sides of the Jacobite uprisings and on both sides of the French and American revolutions. Robert Burns became a freemason in 1781, age 23. Marie Roberts, in “Burns and the Masonic Enlightenment”, states that Freemasonry not only spoke out for the ideals of ‘liberty, fraternity, equality’, but was also responsible for the creation of nationalistic feelings and fervor, as a number of Freemasons played prominent roles in the American and French Revolutions.
The Grand Master of the Scottish constitution bears the unique title Grand Master Mason, an office which has been held by distinguished members of Scottish society.
Unlike other regular Masonic jurisdictions, all members, of whatever rank, are addressed simply as “Brother”. The usual and more complex masonic titles are used in Scotland, but attach to the office, not the individual. This differentiates Scottish Freemasonry from much of the other traditions and keeps to the true teaching of the Fraternity and being on the level.
Lodges under the Scottish Constitution are sovereign bodies in their own right, with a considerable degree of control over their own affairs. Many Lodges pre-existed Grand Lodge, all zealously guarding their traditions, and were permitted to retain their own procedures, regalia, and distinctive rituals. Having accepted the principle of independence of old Lodges, it was impossible to deny Lodges founded after 1736 the same level of independence. Of course the rituals must contain the principal points of each degree, but the scope for elaboration is considerable, with numerous interesting variations. Since Scottish Lodges have the right to choose the colors of the Lodge regalia, meetings are very colorful, especially if visitors from other Lodges are present.
Today, Scottish Freemasonry continues to flourish and grow, offering a unique and original perspective on Freemasonry that has survived for over 400 years and with a membership that is spread across the 32 Provinces in Scotland and the 28 Districts worldwide. As the world is changing, Scottish Freemasonry continues to preserve its traditions and rich heritage while keeping a focus on staying up to date with the changes that affect and influence its membership.
© by The Grand Lodge of Ancient, Free and Accepted Masons of Scotland
