In Mark Masonry, the T-cross appears disguised as the symbol of the Lewis, representing a metal cramp used to join pieces of stone together, as well as signifying the son of a Mason and a support in old age 2. J. S. M. Ward observed that the tau served historically as a widely used medieval Mason's mark, citing an example cut into a chapel pillar at the Tower of London dated no later than 1080 2.
Writers treat the tau cross differently depending on the degree under consideration. While its appearance in Mark Masonry is tied to the operative tool of the Lewis and stone working marks 2, discussions of its broader theological and emblemic meanings in Masonic literature belong to other degrees 12. Albert Mackey interprets the tau mentioned in Ezekiel as a mark distinguishing those saved from destruction, a concept applied to the triple tau in the Royal Arch 1. Similarly, Robert Lomas analyzes the phallic and trinitarian symbolism of the united taus within Craft and Royal Arch contexts 2. Within the Mark degree specifically, the supplied sources focus on its structural and operative associations rather than these broader theological readings 12.
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