Welcome, dear viewer, to the secret world
of arcane symbology – embedded in the buildings
we pass every single day.
We’re going to show you some of the most
common symbols used by iconic secret societies
like the Freemasons – often believed by
conspiracy theorists to be linked with the
even more sinister and secretive Illuminati
– and tell you exactly what they don’t
want you to know, from the Eye of Providence
to the Square and Compass.
The secret icons and codes have been found
everywhere from the LA Public library to the
country’s halls of power.
And today, we’re going to tell you exactly
what they mean.
But before we go all Agent Fox Mulder, here’s
an extremely speedy history of the world’s
worst kept secrets: The Illuminati and the
Freemasons.
The Illuminati – Latin plural for “Enlightened”
– is probably not what you imagine when
you hear the name.
The first confirmed group to take up the name
was the Bavarian Illuminati, created by German
law professor Adam Weishaupt, which operated
from 1776 to 1785.
Far from being a shadowy cabal of immensely
powerful individuals, they were a little more
like a group of ambitious nerds hiding in
a utility closet from the school bully.
Except, in this case, the school bully was
the more religious establishment of the late
1700s.
Most of the ideas and iconography that comes
up when you imagine the Illuminati comes from
two sources: The fact-and-fiction-splicing
Illuminatus Trilogy from Robert Shea and Robert
Anton Wilson, and the Freemasons.
There’s a number of theories into the relationship
between the Bavarian Illuminati and the Freemasons,
but it’s undeniable that the Masons were
much larger, more influential, and more feared
secret society – hence why Masonic lodges
still exist in most cities today, while the
Illuminati only really endures in conspiratorial
myth.
That’s why the symbols we’re looking at
today will be Masonic in nature, and trust
us, there are plenty of them.
Freemasons are everywhere, and skew much closer
to the popular idea of the Illuminati than
the original Bavarian Illuminati ever did.
Believed to have potentially existed as far
back as the Middle Ages, where they descended
from powerful guilds of stonemasons.
This group went on to become increasingly
influential with the rise and expansion of
the British Empire before taking off in North
America.
They’ve had some extremely famous and powerful
members, too, including George Washington,
Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Winston Churchill,
Nat King Cole, Mozart, Mark Twain, and J.
Edgar Hoover.
And the “Mason” in the name isn’t just
for show, either.
The Freemasons have had an intimate relationship
with architecture for hundreds of years, hence
why you’re so likely to find their signs
and symbols on buildings around you.
So, without further ado, let’s take a look
at these mysterious symbols and find out exactly
what they mean – so next time you see them
in the wild, you’ll know exactly what you’re
looking at.
Put on your Masonic Apron and open your all-seeing
eyes – we’re jumping in.
What secrets is your city hiding?
The Square and Compass.
First up, we have this iconic duo of geometric
tools from the architect’s toolkit.
You’ll pretty much always see this symbol
on your local masonic lodge – as it’s
one of the most frequently used masonic symbols
– but it’s not uncommon to see it pop
up all over.
So, what does it mean?
It’s a symbol of the duality between life
and death.
The compass, used for drawing circles, is
symbolic of eternity or infinity.
The limitlessness of the spiritual realm.
The square, on the other hand, represents
the physical, material realm, as well as being
representative of a lodge’s leader.
Turns out there’s a good reason for such
strong belief in spirituality amongst the
Freemasons too...
The Letter G.
While the Square and Compass are vital to
Masonic iconography, they rarely act alone
– they’re often seen with the letter G
sitting in the centre.
But why?
What’s the significance of this seemingly
random letter?
There are a number of potential theories – ranging
from God to Gnosis to the Ancient Hebrew Alphabet,
where G has the holy numerical value of 3.
However, the commonality between all these
theories is a relationship with God, which
is mandatory, as – unlike the Bavarian Illuminati
– atheists are not permitted to be Freemasons.
The Two Pillars.
What could be more of a pillar of architecture
than, well, the pillar?
The two pillars, while totally innocuous to
the untrained eye, also have a level of secret
masonic meaning.
The two pillars, which you can find in literally
any masonic lodge, are a tribute to the pillars
of Boaz and Jachin, apparently present in
the original temple of the biblical King Solomon.
The most commonly accepted meaning is that
the pillars are symbolic of the fact that
all men are created equal under the eyes of
God, and have a duty of care for one another.
The Number Seven.
The number seven is considered a lucky or
significant number in a variety of cultures,
but like a number of seemingly random symbols,
it has a different layer of resonance to members
of the Freemasons.
Seven is considered a perfect number, as it
contains the numbers 3 and 4 – each symbolic
of the triangle and the square, and thus being
the perfect figures.
It’s also a prime number, meaning it cannot
be divided by any number other than itself,
and cannot be created by multiplication.
As a result, it’s often subtly inserted
into Freemason structures, sometimes representing
the consciousness or spirit of man.
The Two-Headed Eagle.
This is another one that the Freemasons share
with a number of other groups and cultures,
from modern Russia to the Ancient Romans.
Images of two-headed eagles have been dated
as far back as 3000 BCE, so the Freemasons
are actually one of the more recent adopters.
In Masonic lore, the two-headed eagle is said
to represent the duality of both humanity
and of the Freemasons themselves, with each
head representing a different portion of the
whole.
It can also represent the unification of two
halves of an individual in the process of
spiritual regeneration.
But it’s not just the living that the Freemasons
are interested in...
Masonic Coffins.
If ever you’ve gone to a local cemetery
to pay respects to a deceased friend or loved
one, you might’ve seen some curious markings
on the headstones, mausoleums, or above-ground
coffins.
That’s because masonic pageantry extends
even to the dead – as masonic coffins are
often emblazoned with symbols representing
spiritual continuance and immortality.
We’ll get more into some of those later,
though.
The Winged Hourglass.
This is a symbol you’ll often see engraved
on clock towers or other buildings that feature
large clocks.
As you can probably intuit, the meaning of
this winged hourglass is not only representing
the eternal passage of time, but also the
duality between life and death – with the
upper portion of the hourglass representing
life, and the other representing death.
The twisting of the hourglass is symbolic
of the fact that life and death are just two
parts of a continuous cycle, and acts as a
little memento mori to anyone in the know.
The Sheaf of Corn.
Unless you live in an urban area, you probably
wouldn’t think twice about seeing a bound
sheaf of corn leaning against – or engraved
into – a new building.
What you probably wouldn’t realise is that
you’re staring at a Masonic symbol dating
back to the era of King Solomon.
The sheaf of corn is often used in dedication
ceremonies, and is said to be symbolic of
being charitable to the less fortunate – as
a farmer with a bountiful harvest would bless
others with his crop.
The Gavel.
A subtle symbol that you may see engraved
in the side of a Freemason building.
The gavel is an extremely important piece
of Freemason iconography, and is not to be
confused with the silly little wooden hammer
used by judges.
The gavel is a reference to the huge hammers
used by stonemasons to smash the rough edges
off of large pieces of stone.
It’s often used to represent the leader
of a Freemason lodge’s authority, and a
Mason’s desire to purge themselves of their
human vices and failures in order to reach
a state of perfection.
No pressure, of course.
The Acacia Tree.
While it’s one of the less popular trees
these days, the image of a sprig of acacia
will often grace buildings related to the
freemasons, whether it’s in a wall carving
or a stained glass window.
According to biblical texts, Moses used wood
from the acacia tree for everything from the
ark of the covenant to his home furniture.
It’s symbolic of eternal life, as well as
redemption, as the Masonic meaning of the
acacia tree is “life rises up from the grave.”
Comparisons to the biblical tale of Lazarus
have, naturally, also been drawn.
The Moon.
That’s right – you’ll often see the
moon on masonic frescos and engraved into
impressive murals, and that’s because – to
the Freemasons – the moon means a whole
lot more than controlling tides and werewolves.
Freemasons respect the moon as the biblical
ruler of the night – and also see it as
symbolic of the duties of the Master of the
Lodge, which must be performed as regularly
as the moon rises in the night.
The Beehive.
This pesky little symbol is actually a huge
source of controversy among modern scholars,
because the image of the beehive – often
incorporated into stone carvings and murals
on Freemason-associated buildings – is one
of the oldest symbols on the books, going
back hundreds or even thousands of years.
One of the most commonly accepted connections
is that the hive, being a picture of perfect
organisation, is meant to be symbolic of an
ideally run masonic lodge.
Connections have also been drawn to the concepts
of industry, and even the return of the soul.
Now we’re going to get into the most important
of masonic symbols, so keep an eye out for
these in your city…
The Blazing Star.
This is one of the most vital and respected
symbols in all of Freemasonry, and the interpretation
of its meaning can actually differ depending
on the lodge.
It can stand in for everything from the biblical
star of Bethlehem to the spirit of Sirius
to Anubis, the Ancient Egyptian God of Death.
In terms of metaphor, it’s sometimes seen
to represent the concept of divine providence,
immutable truth, or the peak of Freemasonry
that all masons should aspire to.
In other words, this one is really open to
personal interpretation.
Which, finally, leaves us with the one symbol
you’ve probably all been waiting for since
the second you saw the word “Illuminati”
in the title…
The All-Seeing Eye, aka The Eye of Providence.
Whether it’s the last dollar bill in your
wallet or Bill Cipher from Gravity Falls,
you’ve absolutely laid eyes on The Eye of
Providence.
It’s one of the most iconic symbols of all
time, and these days is basically synonymous
with the very concept of conspiracy theories
and secret societies.
It’s hard to watch any movie, TV show, or
documentary on the subject without this beady
little eye in the centre of a triangle staring
out at you.
But what does it really mean?
The All-Seeing Eye first became a part of
standard Freemason iconography with the publishing
of Thomas Smith Webb’s Freemason Monitor
in 1797.
Rather than a call to dystopian mass surveillance,
as many modern conspiracy theorists probably
imagine, the All-Seeing Eye was actually meant
to remind masons of their accountability to
God, who is always watching their actions.
It’s not the eye of the Freemasons staring
out onto everyone else, but the eye of God,
staring down and making sure none of the Freemasons
step out of line.
Not quite as sinister and exciting as New
World Orders or otherworldly occultic demons,
but those are the facts.
So, now you know – while the Illuminati
may be a largely mythic fixture of the past,
the Freemasons are very much alive and kicking,
with estimates placing them at around six
million as of 2018.
Are they a shadowy organisation of devil-worshippers
seeking world power at any cost?
No, probably not.
But having most of the founding fathers in
their ranks gives you an impression of the
legacy they’ve left, even in signs and symbols,
across the United States.
And thanks to this video, next time you see
a staring eye of providence or a winged hourglass,
you’ll know exactly what you’re looking
at.
Even if you don’t fully understand what’s
looking back…
For more forbidden knowledge check out “What
Did The Secret Society of the Freemasons Actually
Do?” and “Super Secret Societies That
Pull The Strings Without You Knowing”.
You can also join our secret society.
All you need to do is hit “subscribe”!
We’re still working on the secret handshake…
