What are the key symbols used in the First Degree?
In the First Degree of Freemasonry, known as the Entered Apprentice degree, several key symbols are introduced to impart moral and philosophical lessons. The Square represents morality and rectitude of conduct, reminding the Mason to "act justly to all." The Compasses symbolize the ability to circumscribe our desires and passions within due bounds. The Plumb Rule signifies uprightness of conduct and integrity. The Level teaches equality, reminding Masons that all men are equal in the eyes of God.
These tools, common to stonemasons, are used allegorically. As Albert G. Mackey states in his Encyclopedia of Freemasonry, these symbols are "intended to convey moral instruction." They serve as foundational elements for the Mason's journey, encouraging virtuous living and self-improvement.
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Much of what a Freemason would like to know is already written down —
in Anderson's Constitutions and Dermott's Ahiman Rezon, in
Preston and Mackey, in Knoop and Jones on the mediaeval mason, in Claudy
for the newly made Mason, in Pike for the Scottish Rite, and in papers read
before lodges of research over three centuries. The difficulty has never
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