Three Flames
By Michael J. Pearce
The three candles which decorate the altar of every masonic lodge remind every mason of their first degree. After the ritual is over, the master of the lodge explains the meaning of the revelation of light as an allusion to the generative power of God, who separated light from darkness on the first day, according to the Judeo-Christian doctrine. Like a microcosmic re-enactment of the creation, the first degree is the first day of a mason’s new life—now he lives in a new world. It is a world of allegory.
Masons were directed toward the true nature of their fraternity by Samuel Hemming, the author of the contemporary ritual, which he compiled from the work of antient and modern lodges to reconcile them during a period in the 18th and 19th centuries during which they endured schismatic conflict. His now customary description of the order reads, “Freemasonry is a beautiful system of morality, veiled in allegory and illustrated by symbols.” Many religious traditions use allegory as a tool for sharing wisdom, but masonry is unique as a lively modern organization which is singularly focused upon teaching through allegorical interpretation.
Masons were directed toward the true nature of their fraternity by Samuel Hemming, the author of the contemporary ritual, which he compiled from the work of antient and modern lodges to reconcile them during a period in the 18th and 19th centuries during which they endured schismatic conflict. His now customary description of the order reads, “Freemasonry is a beautiful system of morality, veiled in allegory and illustrated by symbols.” Many religious traditions use allegory as a tool for sharing wisdom, but masonry is unique as a lively modern organization which is singularly focused upon teaching through allegorical interpretation.
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