what does the globe symbolise on the summit of the pillars in craft masonry and do writers agree on it

The globes placed upon the summit of the pillars primarily symbolize the universality of Freemasonry 1. Adopted slowly into lodge practice during the first half of the eighteenth century 1, their presence signifies that the fraternity extends over the whole earth, embracing members across different nations, races, and creeds 1.

Masonic writers agree on the overarching theme of universality, but they interpret the origin and specific layers of the symbol differently. Albert Mackey points out that the biblical description of Solomon's Temple specified chapiters adorned with lily-work, derived from the Egyptian lotus symbol of the universe 1. Mackey considers the terrestrial and celestial globes to be a modern addition, arguing it was a pity ritualists replaced the original lotus motif while retaining only its traditional interpretation of universality 1.

In the developed ritualism of the Fellowcraft degree, the two spheres convey distinct yet complementary concepts 12. The terrestrial globe represents the physical earth, denoting the global spread of lodges and temporal acts of relief 12. The celestial globe represents the sky and the spiritual realm, signifying that the principles of the Craft rest upon divine and limitless foundations 12. Carl Claudy notes that using both spheres prevents universality from being misunderstood as merely an earthly condition, extending the Mason's charity of thought across the cosmos 2. Additionally, combining the globes with the pillars synthesizes the Old Charges' tradition of the liberal arts with temple worship, bringing education and faith into harmony 1.

The interpretation originated in eighteenth-century lodge practice as the fraternity expanded beyond London. Between 1725 and 1730, Warrants were first issued to establish lodges overseas in continental Europe and America, pushing the geographic horizons of Masons outward 1. As globes were adopted into lodge rooms between 1730 and 1750, lodge minutes explicitly recorded that the globes were used to illustrate the universality of the Craft, representing the fact that lodges were being constituted in every country under heaven 1.

Symbolically, this Masonic reading evolved from older architectural motifs. Albert Mackey notes that the chapiters atop the biblical pillars originally featured lily-work derived from the Egyptian lotus, an ancient emblem of the universe 1. When ritualists modified the expanded lotus flower into terrestrial and celestial spheres, they retained the Egyptian symbol's underlying association with the extent of creation, restricting it to the global reach and benign influence of the fraternity 1.

---