“There is in every regular and well governed Lodge, a certain point within a circle, embordered by two parallel perpendicular lines… “

In our American Masonic ritual variations, one of the least understood symbols is this point within a circle, bounded by two parallel lines, with the volume of sacred law at the top. Like everything else within our symbolism, if you poke around into history and the origins of why we do what we do as Masons, much can be discovered in the tiniest of things.

Today, June 24th, Freemasons celebrate the Feast of St. John the Baptist. A curious thing for a purportedly non-sectarian group to do. Freemasonry historically acknowledges St. John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist as its patron saints, reveres their memory, points to their exemplary lives in its ritualistic work, and dedicates its lodges to them.

In 1740, Chevalier Andrew Michael Ramsey, a Scottish expatriate living in France and Orator of the Grand Lodge of France, first suggested what morphed into the Templar theory of the formation of Freemasons. 

“During the time of the holy wars in Palestine (the TEMPLARS), several principal lords and citizens associated themselves together, and entered into a vow to re-establish the temples of the Christians in the Holy Land; and engaged themselves by an oath to employ their talents and their fortune in restoring architecture to its primitive institution. (The Freemasons/The BUILDERS.  It’s primitive institution…the Tower of Babel.)

            Note that the Tower of Babel was constructed of bricks.  Bricks have four characteristics.  First, they are unnatural and artificial.  You won’t find a brick occurring in nature.  Second, they are identical and uniform.  It’s not easy to distinguish one brick from another.  Third, they are functionally undifferentiated and interchangeable.  A brick can serve equally well anywhere in a wall.  Fourth, they are all but worthless.  So what if you lose a brick.  There are hundreds more just like it.

            What could be more unnatural and artificial than a society that rejects God?  In such a state, citizens will be made to conform to uniform standards and will lose their individuality.[1]  Their work will be reduced to interchangeable roles.  And, because they have lost all uniqueness, they will become utterly worthless[2].

            Now, listen to what Saint Paul has to say in his Second Letter to the Corinthians:

             If then any man is in Christ, he is a new creature:  the former things have passed away; behold, they are made new!  [2 Corinthians 5:17]

            In opposition to the Tower of Babel, we have a new creation.  This is how Saint Peter describes this new creation:

            Draw near to him [viz. Christ], a living stone, rejected indeed by men but chosen and honored by God.  Be you yourselves as living stones, built thereon into a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.  [1 Peter 2:4-5]

            There you have it.  Bravely standing against secular society, the Tower of Babel, built of bricks, we have a new creation, the Church, a temple built of living stones.

            Living stones have four characteristics.  First, living stones are not just natural, but supernatural.  Second, they are utterly unique.  No two are exactly alike.  Third, they are irreplaceable.  A stone that occupies a particular place in a wall can fit nowhere else.  Fourth, they are extremely precious.

            What could be more supernatural than a society in which Christ dwells?  In the eyes of Jesus, every human being is utterly unique and unrepeatable.  What two human beings are exactly alike?  In the Church, every person is irreplaceable, because each one of us has a mission no one else can fulfill.  Finally, in the heart of Christ, every human being is precious, because every one of us is made in the image and likeness of God.  Each one of us, therefore, has infinite value.

            The question is this:  Which would I rather be—a brick in secular society or a living stone in the temple of the Church?  In the former edifice, we lose our identity.  In the latter, we become who we are meant to be.  C.S. Lewis puts it this way.  In his book The Screwtape Letters, he writes of God’s plan for His human creatures:

[He] sets an absurd value on the distinctness of every one of them.  When He talks of their losing their selves, He means only abandoning the clamour of self-will; once they have done that, He really gives them back all their personality, and boasts…that when they are wholly His they will be more themselves than ever.  [Letter XIII]

            Only in a secular society—where men and women, husbands and wives, fathers and mothers, are interchangeable—only in such a society can “same-sex marriage” and Facebook’s fifty-eight genders be even remotely considered as possibilities.  In the Church, however, where men and women, husbands and wives, fathers and mothers, are irreplaceable, marriage as anything other than one man and one woman for life is, to use a word from the movie The Princess Bride, “inconceivable.”

            Unnatural bricks versus supernatural stones.  Secular society versus the Kingdom of God.  Interchangeable cogs versus irreplaceable persons.  Now there’s something to ponder!  Bricks vs. stones.  I’m not talking about building a house.  I’m talking about building a future.  Source

They adopted several ancient signs and symbolic words drawn from religion by which they might distinguish themselves from the infidels  (and who is it that employes that term?  Infidels…a uniquely muslim term of slander for all who do not accept their beliefs.) and recognize each other in the midst of the Saracens. They communicated these signs and words only to those who had solemnly sworn (made an oath), often at the foot of the altar, never to reveal them. This was not an oath of execration but a bond uniting men of all nations into the same confraternity. Some time after our order was united with the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem. Hence our lodges are, in all Christian countries, called Lodges of St. John.“

“I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God’s throne: Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King. Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black. But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.”  Matthew 5:34-37

Ramsey largely invented his tale out of whole cloth, and there is nothing to suggest that his account was anything more than a fairy tale.

What is called the Old York Lecture from about 1770 in England contains the following as part of its EA catechism:

“Q. To whom were the lodges dedicated during the Mosaic dispensation?“__”

A. To Moses, the chosen of God, and Solomon, the son of David.”__

“Q. And under what name were the Masons known during that period?”__

“A. Under the name of Dionysiacs, Geometricians, or Masters in Israel.“__

“Q. But as Solomon was a Jew, and died long before the promulgation of Christianity, to whom were they dedicated under the Christian dispensation?”__

“A. From Solomon the patronage of Masonry passed to St. John the Baptist.”__

“Q. And under what name were they known after the promulgation of Christianity?“__

“A. Under the name of Essenes, Architects, or Freemasons.”__

“Q. Why were the lodges dedicated to St. John the Baptist?”__

“A. Because he was the forerunner of our Saviour, and by preaching repentance and humiliation, drew the first parallel of the Gospel.“__

“Q. Had St. John the Baptist any equal?“__

“A. He had; St. John the Evangelist.“__

“Q. Why was he said to be the equal of the Baptist?”__

“A. Because he finished by his learning what the other began by his zeal, and thus drew a second line parallel to the former; ever since which time Freemason’s lodges in all Christian countries, have been dedicated to the one, or the other, or both of these worthy and worshipful men.”

William Preston’s Lectures, which is what our own degree ritual lectures are based upon (by way of Thomas Smith Webb in the U.S.), were the standard in the premiere Grand Lodge of England until the reconciliation between the “Ancient” and “Modern” factions in 1813, when a compromise was developed. References to the Saints were removed, the parallel lines were said to represent Moses and Solomon, and the lodges dedicated “to God and his service.”(God, being Lucifer to Masons.)Our English brethren removed the saints to eliminate any hint of religious sectarianism, but in so doing lost a vital aspect of Masonic symbolism and teaching in the process.

The symbol itself is actually based on an ancient astrological and later alchemical symbol known by many today as a circumpunct (a term popularized in Dan Brown’s Masonic-influenced novel The Lost Symbol). The point in the center (image at above) originally represented the Earth in some societies, which was thought to be the center of the Universe. The Heavens were believed to spin around the Earth, represented by the circle. Over time, the heliocentric theory of the Universe prevailed, and the circumpunct symbol settled into actually being representative of the Sun (Sol).

As alchemy became established in the Renaissance, that science developed its own associative symbolism to depict elements. Seven particular metals were denoted to be essential planetary elements, principal among them being gold, which was thought to be the most perfect metal. Gold was associated with the Sun for its luminescence and color, and for its perfection. So its alchemical symbol also became that same point within a circle.

As alchemy developed and became more intertwined with Qabalistic philosophies, some of its proponents like the revolutionary 16th century scientist Paracelsus suggested that celestial bodies affected different parts of the body, and associated the heart with the Sun. So, this is probably the evolution of how Freemasonry first adopted this symbol of the Sun and gold to represent the human soul or conscience that strives for perfection, and its relation to both Mankind and to the universe that revolves around us in our own little personal orbits.

(Also related to Masonic symbolism from our opening ritual is the metal silver, which was associated with the Moon, or Luna, and represented by a crescent.The silver Moon’s Qabalistic association was to the brain, which was associated with older theories of the effects of the Moon’s phases on the mind,and our eventual use of the related word “lunacy.” So, when we open lodge, note the balance between the Sun or heart, the Moon or brain, and the pivotal role of the Master of the Lodge in the center, governing them both “with equal regularity.”  This is why in Continental Masonic lodges, the Master’s chair is frequently seen flanked by images of the Sun and Moon on the wall.)

The two parallel lines were eventually added to the astrological version of the Sun symbol, and represented the summer and winter solstices, the longest and shortest days of the year. For thousands of years, these two days six months apart were celebrated as pagan feast days all over the world, and they were especially important to farming societies, because they were the astronomical methods of calculating planting seasons.

In about 300 A.D., the early Catholic Church began to dedicate popular pagan feast days to the saints. June 24th, the longest day of the year, was declared St. John the Baptist day, while December 27th, the shortest day, was dedicated to St. John the Evangelist. Collectively, Masons refer to them as the Holy Saints John.

Operative Freemasonry was first developed when Roman Catholicism was the prevailing religion throughout the Western world, and these feast days continued under the Church of England. It was common for guilds and other trade groups to adopt one or more patron saints. Some operative masons picked both Saints John, and over the centuries speculative Freemasons commonly celebrate these feast days with banquets. And curiously, even though Freemasonry today is non-denominational and non-sectarian, American Masons have retained these customs of old. Most rituals in America say that Masons come “from a lodge of the Holy Saints John of Jerusalem,”while in other parts of the world, lodges are dedicated to King Solomon (the King who turned Pagan, though God gave him great wisdom, his wisdom led him down the wrong path).

“Solomon failed to heed God’s warning and through lust, greed for trade, and fascination with things foreign and pagan he turned away from the Lord and began to allow pagan worship and pagan altars to be built in Israel and even built them himself. (1 Kings 11). Of all his sins this was clearly the most egregious and the author of 1 Kings indicates it is the main reason God turned his favor from Israel:” Source

But what is the practical application of this sort of symbolic dot connecting?

Consider that John the Baptist was zealous, while John the Evangelist was learned, and by picking both of them as patron saints, Masons symbolically united — and juxtaposed — both passion and reason, keeping them both in balance at all times, again “with equal regularity.”  (Dualism, both evil and good in one person but balanced by man’s wisdom and self-control.)

“Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.”  2Corinthians 6:14-18

The symbol also depicts the Holy Bible or Volume of Sacred Law(Masons do not serve the God of the BIBLE, they serve Lucifer, they don’t care what book you put on the altar.) at the top of the circle. In Masonry, the point represents the individual, and the circle is the boundary of his actions. Taken as a whole, this combined symbol embodies the lesson that a Mason should consult the sacred texts or teachings of his own faithto achieve the proper balance between passion and intensity on one side, and knowledge and education on the other. In other words, he should balance education, excitement and faith to effectively subdue his passions.

Taken as a whole, it is a graphic representation of the conscience, the soul, and the struggle to achieve perfect emotional balance and mental perfection. In other words, to “Know Thyself.”

More information about the Feast of St. John the Baptist from the indispensable Handbook of Christian Feasts and Customs by Fr. Francis X. Weiser, SJ:

This saint was highly honored throughout the whole Church from the beginning. Proof of this is, among other things, the fact that fifteen churches were dedicated to him in the ancient imperial city of Constantinople. Being the precursor of our Lord, he was accorded the same honor as the first great saints of the Christian era, although he belonged to the Old Covenant. The fact that Christ praised him so highly (Matthew 11, 11) encouraged, of course, a special veneration (this is a ROMAN custom of making heros/gods and woshiping them). Accordingly, we find a regular cycle of feasts in his honor among the early ROMAN Christian churches.

The question arises of why June 24, and not 25. It has often been claimed that the Church authorities wanted to “Christianize” the pagan solstice celebrations and for this reason advanced Saint John’s feast as a substitute for the former pagan festival.(that is EXACTLY what they did with EVERY PAGAN FEAST and/or divinity in EVERY Pagan land the Romans conquered.  No matter how much the masons protest to the contrary. This is a fact.)However, the real reason why Saint John’s Day falls on June 24 lies in the Roman way of counting, which proceeded backward from the calends (first day) of the succeeding month. Christmas was “the eighth day before the Kalends of January” (Octavo Kalendas Januarii). Consequently, Saint John’s nativity was put on the “eighth day before the Kalends of July.” However, since June has only thirty days, in our way of counting the feast falls on June 24.

(John)The Baptist is patron of tailors(because he made his own garments in the desert), of shepherds (because he spoke of the “Lamb of God”), and of masons. This patronage over masons is traced to his words:

‘Make ready the way of the Lord, make straight all his paths. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low, And the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways smooth.’ (Luke 3, 4-6.)

All over Europe, from Scandinavia to Spain, and from Ireland to Russia, Saint John’s Day festivities are closely associated with the ancient nature lore of the great summer festival of pre-Christian times. Fires are lighted on mountains and hilltops on the eve of his feast. These “Saint John’s fires” burn brightly and quietly along the fiords of Norway, on the peaks of the Alps, on the slopes of the Pyrenees, and on the mountains of Spain (where they are called Hogueras). They were an ancient symbol of the warmth and light of the sun which the forefathers greeted at the beginning of summer. In many places, great celebrations are held with dances, games, and outdoor meals.

Fishermen from Brittany keep this custom even while far out at sea in the Arctic Ocean. They hoist a barrel filled with castoff clothing to the tip of the mainsail yard and set the contents on fire. All ships of the fishing fleet light up at the same time, about eight o’clock in the evening. The men gather around the mast, pray and sing. Afterward they celebrate in their quarters, and the captain gives each crew member double pay.

Another custom is that of lighting many small fires in the valleys and plains. People gather around, jump through the flames, and sing traditional songs in praise of the saint or of summer. This custom is based on the pre-Christian “need fires” (niedfyr, nodfyr) which were believed to cleanse, cure, and immunize people from all kinds of disease, curses, and dangers. In Spain these smaller fires (fogatas) are lighted in the streets of towns and cities, everybody contributing some old furniture or other wood, while children jump over the flames.

“thou shalt not let any of thy seed pass through the fire” Leviticus 18:21

In Brest, France, the bonfires are replaced by lighted torches which people throw in the air. In other districts of France they cover wagon wheels with straw, then set them on fire with a blessed candle and roll them down the hill slopes.

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