Working tools 3rd degree

What are the working tools of the 3rd degree in Freemasonry?

The working tools of the third degree are the square, the plumb, and the compasses. The square is an implement that acts on a center pin, from which a line is drawn to mark out the ground plan of the intended structure. With the plumb, the skilled architect delineates the building in a plan for the instruction and guidance of the workmen. The compasses enable him to ascertain with accuracy and precision the limits and proportions of its several parts. This is the ritualistic explanation.

However, there is a deeper meaning to these tools. They represent the tools with which the Arhat is to become an Adept. In earlier degrees, the consciousness had to be raised from the lower self to the higher self; now it must be raised from the higher self to the Monad. The square represents the action of the Monad, while the plumb marks the chosen path or ray of the Monad, and the compasses represent the powers of the triple spirit that must be used in one's work.

As stated in the text, “The working tools of the third degree are the square, the plumb, and the compasses. The square is an implement which acts on a centre pin, whence a line is drawn to mark out the ground plan of the intended structure.” This illustrates the importance of these tools not only in a physical sense but also in a spiritual and moral context.

In the English system of Craft Masonry, the working tools of a Master Mason are indeed the skirret, the pencil, and the compasses 1.

The pencil is intended symbolically to remind the Mason that his words and actions are continually observed and recorded by the Almighty Architect, to whom he must eventually account for his conduct throughout life 1. The compasses, recognized as perhaps the most spiritual of all working tools, are prominent across Craft Masonry and appear throughout various rites 2.

This specific triad of working tools belongs to the English Craft system; the pencil is not specifically recognized as a working tool in the American system 1.